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Nursing Care for Musculoskeletal Trauma and Amputation Study Guide

This guide focuses on the nursing management of patients with musculoskeletal trauma and amputations. It covers the assessment of mobility and perfusion, management of spinal compression fractures (etiology, risk factors, and treatment), and amputation care (pathophysiology, levels, complications, and nursing assessment). Key topics include neurovascular assessment, compartment syndrome, phantom limb pain, and patient education for limb and prosthetic care, as well as psychosocial support and he

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Cardiovascular Assessment, Pathophysiology, and Pharmacology

Assessment of the Cardiovascular System

This chapter covers perfusion, fluid and electrolyte balance, surface anatomy of the heart, blood flow, cardiac valves, and the vascular system.

  • Perfusion
  • Fluid and electrolyte balance
  • Surface anatomy of the heart
  • Blood flow through the heart
  • Cardiac valves
  • Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP)
  • Cardiac cycle
  • Mechanical properties of the heart
  • Cardiac Output (CO)
  • Vascular system
  • Arterial system
  • Blood pressure regulation
  • Venous system
  • Cardiovascular changes associated with aging

Recognizing Cues and Diagnostic Assessment

Assessment of the cardiovascular system includes recognizing cues through medical history, physical assessment, psychosocial assessment, laboratory assessment, and other diagnostic assessment.

  • Modifiable and nonmodifiable risk factors
  • Medical history
  • Physical assessment
  • Psychosocial assessment
  • Laboratory assessment
  • Serum cardiac enzymes
  • Troponin T and I
  • Serum lipids
  • Diagnostic assessment
  • Cardiac catheterization
  • Electrophysiologic study (EPS)
  • Echocardiography
  • Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE)
  • Myocardial nuclear perfusion imaging (MNPI)

Coronary Artery Disease and Heart Sound Auscultation

Nursing interventions and assessments related to coronary artery disease, heart sound auscultation, and smoking risk factors.

  • Coronary artery disease (CAD)
  • Triglycerides
  • HDL values
  • Smoking risk factors
  • Peripheral vascular disease (PVD)

Concepts of Care for Vascular Problems

Concepts of care for patients with vascular problems including hypertension, arteriosclerosis, atherosclerosis, peripheral arterial disease, and aneurysms.

  • Primary hypertension
  • Secondary hypertension
  • Hypertensive crisis
  • Arteriosclerosis
  • Atherosclerosis
  • Peripheral arterial disease
  • Ankle-brachial index
  • Aneurysms
  • Aortic dissection
  • Acute peripheral arterial occlusion
  • Six P's of arterial insufficiency

Venous Thromboembolism and Peripheral Vascular Disease

This content covers venous thromboembolism etiology, assessment cues, diagnostic assessments, and management for venous insufficiency and varicose veins.

  • Venous Thromboembolism
  • Etiology of VTE
  • Padua Prediction Score
  • Venous duplex ultrasonography
  • D-dimer
  • Venous Insufficiency
  • Stasis dermatitis
  • Stasis ulcers
  • Varicose Veins
  • Nonsurgical management
  • Surgical management

Hypertension Management and Nursing Interventions

Case studies regarding hypertension risk factors, blood pressure monitoring, lifestyle changes, and management.

  • hypertension risk factors
  • blood pressure monitoring
  • lifestyle changes
  • weight loss
  • hydrochlorothiazide
  • hypokalemia
  • essential hypertension
  • high cholesterol

Pharmacology of Cardiac Drugs

This content covers mechanisms of action, therapeutic levels, and antidotes for various cardiac drugs including digoxin, calcium channel blockers, vasodilators, antiplatelets, and anticoagulants.

  • Digoxin mechanism of action
  • Digoxin toxicity signs
  • Calcium channel blockers
  • Hydralazine arterial vasodilation
  • Nitroglycerin angina treatment
  • Warfarin Vitamin-K antagonist
  • Factor Xa inhibition
  • Dabigatran direct thrombin inhibitor
  • Anticoagulant antidotes

Assessment and Management of Musculoskeletal Conditions

Fracture Assessment, Types, and Management

Concepts of care for patients with musculoskeletal trauma including fractures, assessment, and prevention.

  • Health promotion and disease prevention
  • Osteoporosis screening
  • Physical assessment
  • Psychosocial assessment
  • Laboratory assessment
  • Serum calcium and phosphorus
  • Imaging assessment
  • Acute pain
  • Decreased mobility
  • Neurovascular compromise
  • Intracapsular hip fractures
  • Lower extremity fractures
  • Chest and pelvis fractures

Care for Musculoskeletal Trauma and Amputation

Management of spinal compression fractures and pathophysiology, levels, complications, and nursing assessment for amputation.

  • Compression fractures of the spine
  • Osteoporosis
  • Metastatic bone cancer
  • Amputation pathophysiology
  • Peripheral vascular disease
  • Amputation complications
  • Hemorrhage
  • Infection
  • Phantom limb pain
  • Neuroma
  • Flexion contracture
  • Above-knee amputation
  • Below-knee amputation
  • Mid-foot amputation
  • Syme amputation
  • Neurovascular status assessment
  • TcPO2
  • Tissue perfusion
  • Limb and prosthetic care

Care for Patients with Musculoskeletal Trauma

Nursing interventions and assessments for patients experiencing fractures, fiberglass casts, crush injuries, and compartment syndrome.

  • musculoskeletal trauma
  • fractures
  • nursing interventions
  • fiberglass cast care
  • peripheral capillary refill
  • compartment syndrome
  • crush injury
  • acute kidney injury
  • pain assessment

Assessment of the Musculoskeletal System

Review of anatomy, physiology, musculoskeletal changes associated with aging, and assessment techniques including history, inspection, and diagnostic procedures.

  • Skeletal system anatomy and physiology
  • Osteopenia
  • Osteoporosis
  • Synovial joint cartilage
  • Muscle tissue atrophy
  • Health promotion and disease prevention
  • Weight-bearing activities
  • Musculoskeletal assessment history
  • General inspection of posture and gait
  • Neurovascular assessment
  • Arthroscopy
  • Bone density risk factors

Newborn Perinatal Injury and Congenital Malformation

Management of newborn clubfoot and developmental hip dysplasia through casting, splinting, and orthopedic interventions.

  • Clubfoot
  • Ponseti Method
  • Developmental Hip Dysplasia
  • Ortolani test
  • Pavlik harness
  • Spica cast
  • Neurovascular assessments
  • Casting and splinting

Care for Musculoskeletal Conditions

Concepts of care for patients with musculoskeletal conditions including osteoporosis and osteomyelitis.

  • Osteoporosis pathophysiology
  • Osteomalacia
  • Osteopenia
  • Fragility fracture
  • Dowager's hump
  • Osteoporosis etiology and genetic risk
  • Health promotion and disease prevention
  • Osteoporosis assessment
  • Laboratory and imaging assessment
  • Osteomyelitis
  • Osteomyelitis assessment and interventions

Musculoskeletal and Neurological Pharmacology

Centrally acting skeletal muscle relaxants, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and medications affecting GABA neurotransmitters.

  • Cyclobenzaprine
  • Baclofen
  • CNS depression
  • Naproxen
  • Ketoralac
  • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
  • GABA neurotransmitter

The Child With Musculoskeletal Conditions

Assessment and treatment of musculoskeletal systems in the growing child including soft tissue injuries, traumatic fractures, traction, and compartment syndrome.

  • Differences between child and adult bones
  • Musculoskeletal assessment
  • Soft tissue injuries
  • RICE treatment
  • Traumatic fractures
  • Greenstick fractures
  • Compound fractures
  • Traction nursing responsibilities
  • Neurovascular checks
  • Compartment syndrome
  • Cast care

Pediatric Musculoskeletal Disorders and Conditions

Information regarding osteomyelitis, muscular dystrophy, and scoliosis including symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.

  • Osteomyelitis
  • Septic arthritis
  • Muscular Dystrophy
  • Scoliosis
  • Muscle fiber degeneration
  • Spinal curvature correction

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