I’m starting to have a better understanding of the difference between 1st, 2nd, and 3rd spacing. But I’m still a little confused about how Ascites could be 3rd spacing. I thought that the fluid in third-spacing couldn’t be removed, but I know that ascites can be aspirated to get rid of it. That’s a great …
Since I was talking about some common Renal medications last week, it got me thinking about one renal medication with a rather strange side effect that some test writers like to ask about The medication is Pyridium (phenazopyridine). The rather strange side effect is that it can turn body fluids red or orange! Yes, that …
I’m confused about third-spacing. I know that one of the possible symptoms of liver failure is called ascites, which I think is just fluid in the abdomen…is that right? But I also noticed when studying that you can have third-spacing in the abdomen during Congestive Heart Failure (CHF), too. Is that the same thing as …
There are a couple major medications to know related to the Renal System, but one of the main ones you need to understand are diuretics. There are three types of diuretics: Loop, thiazide, and potassium-sparing. Furosemide (Lasix) is a Loop diuretic, which is usually the diuretic tried first, so it tends to be most common. …
I always think that the best way to understand cancer (especially quickly!) is by understanding the life cycle of the cell. Cancer is caused by problems in the DNA, so you need to understand a little bit about how DNA can get damaged in order to more easily understand cancer. Remember the process of Mitosis? …
Understanding Cancer Quickly (You know, like for a test!) Read More »
I wanted to share a couple of ways that have always helped me to remember the four lobes of the brain and what they do. Some of them are a little bit silly, but I never forget them! Frontal lobe is in the front and “on top of” everything else: It’s in charge of conscious thought …
Did you finally start nursing school, only to find that you’re having trouble with one of your very first nursing classes…Fundamentals of Nursing? There are a lot of reasons why nursing students can have difficulty in school, but I often find that it relates to the way that you study. Studying for nursing school is …
In Leadership and Management class I always get confused who should be discharged first, or who should receive care first among a set of patients. How should I prioritize care when symptoms are normal for the condition they have? ~ Submitted by Jenita That’s the million dollar question, isn’t it? Prioritization questions are some of …
It’s one thing to learn what causes Respiratory (or Metabolic) Acidosis (or Alkalosis), but you also need to be able to use that knowledge to predict what symptoms those conditions can cause. It’s easier than you might think, and doesn’t involve memorizing any lists. But first… How cells regulate acid-base imbalances We have one more …
How to remember symptoms of Acid-Base Imbalances Read More »
Acid and Base Imbalances fall into two primary category types: Respiratory and Metabolic. Understanding the underlying physiology of what can cause each type is essential to being able to confidently answer NCLEX questions related to Arterial Blood Gases (ABGs), fluids and electrolytes, or any illness that can cause an acid or base imbalance. Metabolic Acidosis …
