Geriatric Dementia
- Polypharmacy
- Multiple chronic diseases mean multiple medications
- Drug dosages may not have been adjusted for multiple meds
- Drug interactions may cause problems
- Consider polypharmacy as a reason for problems
- Psychosocial and economic aspects
- Demographics and “graying of America”
- Psychosocial issues
- Living environments
- Financial issues
- Social services
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Definition
- Stages
- Diagnosis
- Prognosis
- Epidemiology
- Population
- early onset
- Pathophysiology
- Plaques
- Tangles
- Signs and Symptoms
- Memory
- Learning
- Judgment
- Language
- Tasks
- Personality changes
- Apathy
- Irritability
- Depression
- Agitation
- Psychosis
- Normal day-to day living
- Problems associated with management
- Patient violence
- Patient verbal abuse
- Fearful patient
- Management
- Communication
- Slow clear instructions
- Distraction from agitation
- Other
- Treat symptomatically
- Consider co-illnesses
- Consider medication reactions
- Alzheimer’s treatment
- Cholinesterase inhibitors
- Antipsychotics
- Antidepressants
- Definition
- Dementia
- Definition
- Causes of dementia
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Multi-infarct dementia
- Drug toxicity
- Emotional disorders
- Metabolic and endocrine disorders
- Brain tumor
- Brain trauma
- Infections
- Major depression Parkinson’s disease
- Huntington’s chorea
- Alzheimer’s Disease—most common form of dementia
- Pathophysiology
- Stages
- Paramedic assessment and interactions
- Associated signs and symptoms
- Progressive loss of cognitive function; short and long-term memory problems
- Loss of attention span
- Loss of communication skills
- Inability to perform daily routines
- Easily lost
- Angers easily
- Problems associated with management of patient with dementia
- Poor historian; impaired judgment
- Inability to vocalize areas of pain and current symptoms
- Unable to follow commands
- Anxiety over movement out of home or current establishment
- Anxiety and fear of treatment of current medical problems
- Delirium- a sudden change in behavior, consciousness, or cognitive processes generally due to a reversible physical ailment.
- Mortality rates
- Evaluation of pathophysiology through history, possible risk factors, and current medications
- Intoxication or withdrawal from alcohol
- Withdrawal from sedatives
- Vitamin deficiencies
- Urinary tract infections/ bowel obstructions
- Cardiovascular disease
- Hyper/hypoglycemia
- Psychiatric disorders
- Malnutrition
- Dehydration
- Environmental emergencies
- Depression
- Fever
- Current medications: anticholinergic medications
- Associated signs and symptoms
- Onset of minutes, hours, days
- Disorganized thoughts: inattention, memory loss, disorientation
- Hallucinations
- Delusions
- Reduced level of consciousness
- Possible changes in physical assessment
- Changes in peripheral, core and neurovascular perfusion
- Changes in response of pupils
- Changes in response to motor tests
- Dysrhythmias
- Adventitious breath sounds
- Assessment tools
- Neurological examination of cranial nerves, motor and sensory function
- Blood pressures
- Evaluation of limb lead ECG
- Interpretation of 12 lead ECG for signs of ischemia, injury or anomalies
- Auscultation of heart to detect irregular, muffled, or extra heart tones
- Auscultation of breath sounds to detect adventitious noises
- Capnography
- Evaluation of glucose
- Treatment
- Airway, ventilatory and circulatory support
- Oxygen with adjuncts appropriate to patient condition
- Venous access
- ECG monitoring
- Treatment to correct reversible causes: Hypoglycemia D50 IV or glucagons, or possible drug overdose with Narcan
- Evaluation of patient treatment through reassessment
Content Creator: Madison Browning
CAPCE Course Number: 18-EMTP-F3-1311
Total CE Hours: 1
Level: Basic
NJ Course Number: 1721093604986
EMT-CE uses the NEMSES guidelines as the foundation for every course outline.