N213: Health Differences Across the Life Span 3

N213: Health Differences Across the Lifespan 3 Study Guide

©2017 Achieve Test Prep Page 113 of 204 10 Severe Pain When pain is assessed, it is important to ask the patient the intensity of the pain they feel on a scale of 1 to 10, with one being the least pain and 10 being the worst pain they have ever felt. The use of charts can also help the patient describe their pain better. This way nurses can provide adequate comfort according to the level of pain. 3.1 Types of Degenerative Disorders Degenerative disorders include: • Osteoarthritis/degenerative joint disease • Gout • Rheumatoid arthritis/systemic lupus erythematosus • Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis • Osteoporosis • Scoliosis • Legg-calve-perthes disease • Slipped femoral epiphysis • Contractures (complication of immobility of joints) Injuries causing musculoskeletal dysfunction include: Chapter Three: Musculoskeletal Dysfunction Musculoskeletal conditions are a large part of patient care. It is important to understand these conditions and understand how they affect not only the lives of the patient, but also the caregivers. This chapter covers diseases that affect the muscles, the skeletal system, and the injuries that can cause temporary disability. Musculoskeletal dysfunction can either be caused by diseases, like arthritis, or an injury, like a fracture or sprain. Some of the diseases include osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and scoliosis. Injuries include fractures, soft tissue injuries, and disk harms in the spine. No matter what the cause, the first assessment of a patient when they come in is for pain. These conditions, whether temporary or permanent, can severely affect a patient’s daily functions because pain levels can often be very high. Let’s take a look at a pain assessment scale: 0-1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 Absent or Mild Pain 5 Moderate Pain