Nursing 1180A/B Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Glasgow Coma Scale, Neurological Examination, Functional Response
29 Jun 2016
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Pregnant women: elevated levels of estrogen, progesterone, prolactin, and oxytocin, increased pressure on peripheral nerves from extra weight. Newborns and infants: at birth nervous system is only developed to sustain life primarily through reflexes; grows rapidly. Autonomic system is critical: myelination is incomplete, spinal cord and nerves grow, brain grows. Children and adolescents: more coordinated with better posture, brain growth is very slow (has been mostly completed) Older adults: depleted and therefore slower nervous system, at risk for altered balance postural hypotension, falls, and injury. Level of consciousness (loc: glasgow coma scale (gcs, scoring verbal response, eye opening, motor function. Pupillary reaction: size (before and after light stimulus, shape, speed of response to light, equality, accommodation. Extremity strength: ask patient to lift each extremity off bed, note whether he/she can maintain limb elevation against gravity and then against resistance from the examiner, note facial asymmetry (at rest or during facial movement)
