Week1 Heat & Cold
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- What is it a nurse needs to know about therapeutic use of heat & cold?
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normal response to it
variations to response
need to assess area - you include the patient in the assessment thing by asking ...
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questions like How does it feel?
you need to assess the equipment too. make sure materials management resets temps on eq. BUT the temp on the patient is MY responsiblity - what would have a bad reaction to heat or cold therapy?
- a decreased circulatory system so a nurse might have to question a doctor's orders for a cold pack!
- there is sytemic response to hear and cold. like what?
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heat would have sweating and vasodialation
cold would have piloerection, vasoconstriction, shivering - whats wrong with shivering?
- you make a guy shiver using cold technique, which is to cool him down, shivering produces heat so the guy starts to warm up again
- what happens when you use heat on someone?
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vasodialation
reduced blood vicosity
reduced muscle tension
increased capillary permeability - what happens when you use cold on someone?
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vasoconstriction
reduces pain
slows metabolism
increases blood viscosity
decreased muscle tension - what does a sitz bath do?
- warm water so increases viscosity, soak that butt after prostate surgery or women w/ problems
- whats the big problem with using heat on someone?
- drops the blood pressure so they could go into shock.
- would you use a hot pack on a tooth ache?
- hell no. it would spread the infection by vasodialation
- you got to assess for tolerence. what ya do?
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look at level of consciouness
cognitive status? confused?
alterations in skin
check vital signs
are they nausia? head swimming?
seniors have decreased tactile (feelings) they could burn easy - what risks with all this?
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old people have thin skin, decreased tactile skin
can't tell their cooking in there
peripheral vascular disease
confussion
spinal cord injury
abcessed tooth -
lets talk about moist heat
good and bad. whats the good? -
reduces drying of skin
moistens exudate
compress conforms to body
moist heat penetrates
promotes sweating and fluid loss - so now whats the down to heating with moist heat?
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maceration w/ long exposure (prunning I think)
greater risk to burns
moisture conducts heat -
hot moist compress
what can it do? -
improve circulation
relieve edema
pulls up pus and drainage - what does a warm soak do?
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promotes circulation
lessens edema
relaxes muscles
dedrides wounds - why do we use ice packs?
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muscle sprain
hematoma
dental surgery
cover it w/ flannel cover,
reapply after an hour
controls bleeding!
kills the pain in the area!