...Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm: The Walking Time Bomb The human body is made up of many different systems that allow the body to function in a variety of ways. But in order to keep these systems working properly, the body needs nourishment and exercise. This should include a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet that will aid in the reduction of the plaque (fatty buildup) that narrows the arteries and aid in controlling high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Additionally, to lower many of the causes for maladies within the human body, salt intake need to be reduced and to stop smoking. Those who do not follow these precautions are susceptible to a condition called aortic aneurysm. It is a deadly condition that needs to be attended to as soon as possible. A thoracic aneurysm is an abnormal ballooning or bulge in the wall of an artery caused by a weakening in the wall of a high pressure artery. The areas within the aorta that an aneurysm is known to occur is the aortic root, aortic arch and the ascending and descending aorta. An aneurysm can occur in anyone of these sections and can grow large enough to rupture which causes severe bleeding inside the chest cavity (Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm, 2012). Anytime you have a blood vessel with a weakened area that begins to bulge, it has the possibility of rupturing. A majority of aneurysms occur in the aorta, the largest artery in the body which carries oxygen-rich blood away from the heart to all parts of the body. The aorta comes...
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...Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm By Richaly Luce, T TH PM Laboratory Fall 2016 INTRODUCTION An abdominal aortic aneurysm is the dilation of a localized area of the abdominal aorta. The most common complication of this is rupture of the aneurysm. When it ruptures the mortality rate is around 90%. Rupture of the aneurysm causes massive hemorrhage into the abdominal cavity. Abdominal aortic aneurysm affects around 5-9% of the population over the age of 65, and most common in males. It is less common in females and tends to happen after the age of 75. The rupture resulting in death of the aneurysm affects about 1-2% of all male deaths in western countries. I’ve done some light research in the past about this pathology. Now that I have the opportunity...
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...Infrarenal Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm On October 12, 2015, a 76-year-old male entered the emergency department at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. He arrived complaining of nausea and vomiting. The nausea and vomiting started occurring three hours prior to the patient arriving to the hospital. Upon his arrival, he was ambulatory and able to function normally. The patient has a previous medical history of smoking and high blood pressure. After the patient’s medical history and arrival assessment was completed, the emergency department physician ordered a CT of his abdomen and pelvis to determine what could be causing the patient’s chief complaints. Although the patient was able to walk, he was brought to the imaging department via stretcher....
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...one year and can be repeated annually. The available preventative services that are offered to all Medicare enrollees are the following: annual bone mass measurements (DEXA scan), annual cardiovascular disease behavioral therapy, cardiovascular screenings every five years (lipid panel), various colon cancer screenings, annual depression screening, a one-time EKG screening, annual influenza vaccine, a one-time pneumococcal vaccine, annual mammogram, two general preventative visits, and annual prostate cancer screenings. The preventative services that are offered to enrollees that are at high-risk or meet certain medical criteria are sexually transmitted infections screening and counseling including HIV screening, a one-time abdominal aortic aneurysm screening, alcohol misuse counseling, diabetes screening and self-management training, glaucoma tests,...
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...Physical Assessment of the Gastrointestinal System Walden University Physical Assessment of the Gastrointestinal System The examination of the gastrointestinal system is an evaluation of the organs in the center of the body and the associated vasculature and lymphatics. Its functions are investigated by using inspection techniques of visual inspection, palpation (feeling with the hands), percussion (tapping with the fingers), and auscultation (listening). The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the record of the findings resulting from the gastrointestinal physical assessment of patient Mr. J. |Week #4 | |Abdomen | |Contour/Symmetry | | | |Visual examination of the abdomen revealed symmetry bilaterally; no skin | | |abnormalities were found. There were no abdominal masses visible, and the| | ...
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...Taking advantage of my situation, I had come across Drebber, heavily intoxicated by liquor as he got in the cab hastily to escape a fight, and I had to do what he deserved. I offered him two pills as a choice - one was harmless while the other was extremely poisonous and toxic, and he chose poison. Alas, it was a matter of time before justice was served. In his final moments, I showed him the wedding ring from Lucy’s finger, to remind him of the pain and suffering he had inflicted on her in her own final hours. The joy and thrill I had felt from the murder of Enoch Drebber had caused symptoms of my aortic aneurysm to occur, as blood dripped from my nose onto the floor, and used this to engrave “RACHE” on the wall. I had realized later...
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...Agoo Technical & Vocational Education Training Center Sta. Barbara Agoo, La Union DISEASES (REPORT by GROUP 3) Submitted by: Michelle Manzano Alvin Viduya Jane Foronda Rhodora Gagaoin Arlene Heruela Jo-ann Eballar Marlon Catalan Submitted to: Mr. Jose Eric Rivera THROMBOANGIITIS OBLITERANS What is Thromboangiitis Obliterans? * Also known as Buerger’s Disease * A rare disease of the arteries and veins in the arms and legs. In buerger’s disease your blood vessels become inflamed, swell and can become blocked with blood clots. This eventually damages or destroy skin tissues and lead to infection usually first shows in the hands and feet and may eventually affect larger areas of your arms and legs SYMPTOMS * Pain in your lower legs or feet when walking * Pain in your hands or forearms * Blood clots * Ulcers on your toes and fingers * Raynaud’s syndrome, a narrowing of blood vessels in your hands and sometimes your toes TREATMENT * Stopping all smoking and other forms of tobacco use * Having surgery to bring blood to the affected tissues (people who have smoked for more than 20 years are more likely to need surgery COMPLICATIONS * Changes in the way you walk or move due to pain * Ulcers * Tissue damage or tissue death * Gangrene * Amputation ASTHMA What is Asthma? * Asthma existed in ancient egyptian times and there’s some evidence that asthma has been around even before that. The...
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...Ethical Dilemma from Current Events Family Presence During Resuscitation Tracy Sitek Grand Canyon University Ethical Decision Making in Healthcare NRS 437V Barbara Trabelsi April 17, 2011 Ethical Dilemma from Current Events Over the last decade, controversy over family presence during resuscitation (FPDR) and invasive procedures has markedly increased. Historically, it has always been thought that having a family member that was hysterical or asking questions for clearer understanding of the situation was a deterrent or distraction for the staff while they were trying to provide care to their critically ill relative. No one wanted the family in the room as they might potentially become another patient or they were in the way of the care providers. The family was escorted to a more private setting such as a quiet room, to await the occasional visits from staff to update them on the status of their loved one. A recent article written by Tamekia L. Thomas called “Family Presence: To Stay or Not to Stay?” discusses the idea that if family members were given the choice of being present during invasive procedures or resuscitation of a loved one, they would be at the bedside (Thomas, 2008). This presence has proven to assist in the bereavement process, provides the family with reassurance that all efforts were made during the resuscitation and decreases anxiety for the family. However, a change in culture is a slow process and controversy continues due to lack...
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...What is a brain aneurysm? A brain (cerebral) aneurysm is a bulging, weak area in the wall of an artery that supplies blood to the brain. In most cases, a brain aneurysm causes no symptoms and goes unnoticed. In rare cases, the brain aneurysm ruptures, releasing blood into the skull and causing a stroke. When a brain aneurysm ruptures, the result is called a subarachnoid hemorrhage. Depending on the severity of the hemorrhage, brain damage or death may result. The most common location for brain aneurysms is in the network of blood vessels at the base of the brain called the circle of Willis. What causes a brain aneurysm? A person may inherit the tendency to form aneurysms, or aneurysms may develop because of hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) and aging. Some risk factors that can lead to brain aneurysms can be controlled, and others can't. The following risk factors may increase your risk of developing an aneurysm or, if you already have an aneurysm, may increase your risk of it rupturing:1 • Family history. People who have a family history of brain aneurysms are twice as likely to have an aneurysm as people who don't. • Previous aneurysm. About 20% of patients with brain aneurysms have more than one. • Gender. Women are twice as likely to develop a brain aneurysm or to suffer a subarachnoid hemorrhage as men. • Race. African Americans have twice as many subarachnoid hemorrhages as whites. • Hypertension. The risk of subarachnoid hemorrhage is greater...
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... I believe it is absolutely essential to take steps to further personalize medicine. There are too many generalized treatments that may work for most patients, but still a great many patients with slight irregularities are not eligible because of these slight differences. For example, research is being done at the BIO5 Institute at the University of Arizona by Dr. Jonathan VandeGeest and his laboratory to switch the commonly used generalized metallic stents to treat an aortic aneurysm to custom manufactured Functional (due to the use of dendrimers for drug delivery) Polymeric Endoluminal Paving prototypes. The development of these customized prototypes for aneurysm patients is a massive step forward in personalized medicine. The traditional procedure to correct this condition involved complex open-chest surgery. Depending on the size and growth rate of the aneurysm, surgery can take many hours and may require multiple return visits. During surgery, the two traditional treatments are aortic grafts or metallic stents. The grafts are a wire mesh that is sewn into place to prevent further growth and leaking, which involves an extremely dangerous and invasive procedure. Otherwise, a generalized metallic stent is used, but because this device is pre-formed, it will only fit a select group of patients whose aorta is in a straight and vertical orientation. Any other shape and the treatment couldn’t be applied. Though, because the aorta is almost never perfectly straight...
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...One of Men’s Health’s top experts, T.E. Holt, M.D., a physician in North Carolina, tells this story about one of his patients: A man came in, dragged by his daughter because, she explained, he had been steadily losing weight and was covered in big lumps. The lumps had been growing for 2 years, maybe more, she said. I had no doubt, from the moment I saw him, that this man was dying. He had lumps as big as my fist on his forehead and his back, and as I came closer and moved around him, more came into view. When I pressed deeply into his belly, I felt a solid rock where there should have been yielding space. It was metastatic sarcoma, a rare cancer of the connective tissue. Four months later, the man was dead. When it comes to their health, says Dr. Holt, guys are notorious for doing too little, too late. As men, we’re told to play through the pain, tough it out, shake it off, and suck it up. There are a dozen other variations of the same message, and they’re all code for: Ignore your symptoms. And why not? What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right? Here’s the problem: Things kill us all the time. Even when we're young. In fact, guys between the ages of 20 and 40 are twice as likely to die as women, says Dr. Holt. Most of us, I'd hope, would call a doctor if we were struck by blinding head pain, suddenly couldn't feel one side of our body, or, frankly, noticed fist-size bumps emerging from our foreheads. But some symptoms aren't so obviously dire. We asked...
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...Aortic Dissection An aortic dissection is a serious condition in which the inner layer of the aorta, the large blood vessel dividing off the heart, tears. Blood flows through the tear, producing the inner and middle layers of the aorta to separate (dissect). If the blood-filled channel breaks through the outside aortic wall, aortic dissection is often deadly (mayoclinic.org, 2014). Aortic dissection is very uncommon and usually happens in males in their 60’s and 70’s. Aortic dissection is sometimes misnamed dissecting aneurysm but an aneurysm is a bulge in weak areas of its walls and a dissection is a separation of the layers of its wall. These disorders can be immediately fatal, but they usually take years to develop (merckmanuals.com, 2017). Etiology Specific causes of aortic dissection are generally related to any condition that damages or weakens the aorta muscle wall or increases the pressure against the aorta. Many risk factors that be a part of the cause to the growth of aortic dissection, including: atherosclerosis, narrowing of the aorta (coarctation), polycystic kidney disease, inflammation of the aorta (aortitis), a thoracic aneurysm already in existence, high blood pressure (hypertension), too much fluid or volume circulating through the aorta...
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...A DAY WHEN EVERYTHING WENT WRONG Sandy Smith AIU ONLINE Tuesday, June 14, 2011 will always be remembered as a day when everything went wrong. I never in a million years could have predicted this day. I woke up late, which rarely ever happens and the day went downhill from there. I am extremely blessed and thankful to be able to tell my story. I woke up late on this day. I needed to be up by 8:00 am; instead I did not wake up until 9:30 am. I had a breakfast date with a friend at 10:00 am. Needless to say, I had to call her to reschedule since I was not going to be on time. She seemed slightly irritated with me, because this was the second time I had to reschedule. Since I missed my breakfast date, I decided to do a few loads of laundry before going to work at 1:00pm. After putting my first load into the wash, I went to the kitchen to make coffee. I went to get the coffee canister only to realize I was out of coffee. Feeling somewhat defeated, I sat at the kitchen table pondering the events of my morning, thus far. After sitting in the kitchen for about forty minutes or so, I went to put the laundry into the dryer. The dryer had blown a fuse and would not operate. At this point, I seriously thought, this has got to be Some type of bad dream that I was having. I did not know whether to laugh or cry at the events of the day. I did neither. After a while it was time to prep for work. I got ready for work, and even...
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...Review of article: “Statin Use and Risk of Cerebral Aneurysm Rupture: A Hospital-based Case-control Study in Japan,” Y. Yoshimura, Y. Murakami, et al. Design and Data Collection The presented study is a case-control study design, meaning it is based on measuring the associations between statin administration and the likely rupture of a cerebral aneurysm in purposefully selected indicator and control populations. The foundation of the study grew from theoretical components tied to animal models used in the past. The underlying conditions of interest are important but not commonly seen in humans, making it difficult to know the best medical measurements and, if possible, prescriptive interventions for unruptured neurological disorders, which generally now can be dealt with by way of surgical interventions. The written assessment of the study indicated limited evidence of human studies showing the effect of statin drugs in reducing the risk of aneurysmal ruptures. The study model used in this investigation (case-control) is readily suitable to study uncommon diseases with low overall prevalence rates. However, given the impact such a condition could have on a population segment thought to have many years of productivity – and because of promising animal studies – the study was deemed beneficial as an initial step toward learning more about the drug’s beneficial indicators. The primary endpoint of focus was the likelihood of the rupture of an aneurism and the protective effect...
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...one of the four heart valves: the mitral, aortic, tricuspid or pulmonary. These conditions occur largely as a result of ageing. Most people are in their late 50s when diagnosed, and more than one in ten people over 75 have it. According to Professor Ben Bridgewater, consultant cardiac surgeon at University Hospital of South Manchester, ‘If the disease is picked up early, the outcomes from surgery are very good. Life expectancy goes back to match that of healthy people the same age. 2. The normal functions that would be affected by the disease. Normally functioning valves ensure that blood flows with proper force in the proper direction at the proper time. In valvular heart disease, the valves become too narrow and hardened to open fully, or are unable to close completely. Many of the symptoms are similar to those associated with congestive heart failure, such as shortness of breath and wheezing after limited physical exertion and swelling of the feet, ankles, hands or abdomen. Other symptoms include: * Palpitations, chest pain (may be mild). * Fatigue. * Dizziness or fainting (with aortic stenosis). * Fever (with bacterial endocarditis). * Rapid weight gain. 3. Changes in function caused by the disease There are many different types of valve disease; some types can be present at birth (congenital), while others may be acquired later in life. Congenital valve disease. Most often affects the aortic or pulmonic valve. Valves may be the wrong...
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