Question

Case: Dizziness

K.P. is a 72-year-old female who complains of dizziness.

Subjective data

• States she has had dizziness for 2 weeks, worse in morning
• Feels like the room is spinning
• Difficulty walking
• Feels lightheaded
• Usually able to drive, not at present
• Denies blurry vision, nausea, or vomiting

Objective data

• Able to reproduce sensation by moving head side to side
• Vital signs: stable
• Medications: Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), multivitamin

Questions

1. What other assessments should be included for this patient?
2. What questions are appropriate for a patient presenting with dizziness?
3. What risk factors are associated with dizziness for this age group?
4. From the readings, what is the difference between vertigo and dizziness?
5. From the readings, what is the most probable cause of the dizziness in this patient?
6. What are three nursing diagnoses?

Answer 1

1. The physical examination in patient with dizziness should include orthostatic blood pressure measurement, nystagmus assessment, and the Dix- Hallpike maneuver for triggered vertigo.

2. * Can you describe what you felt the first Time you had an episode of dizziness?

* how often do your dizziness episodes occur?

* when do your dizzy spells seem to happen and what triggers them?

* does your dizziness cause you to lose your balance?

* Are your symptoms accompanied by a ringing or fullness in your ears ( tinnitus) or trouble hearing?

* does your vision blur?

3. Risk factors are the presence of cognitive disorders such as dementia, anxiety and depression, locomotor deficit: visual vestibular and proprioceptive disorders.

4. Vertigo :- A sudden internal or external spinning sensation often triggered by moving your head too quickly.

Dizziness :- Altered sense of balance and place possibly described as lightheaded,feeling faint or as if head is spinning.

5. Inner earv disorders bare frequently the cause of feeling dizzy .the most common causes include benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), meniere's syndrome and ear infections.benign paroxysmal positional vertigo make you dizzy when you change you head or body position ( like bending over).

6 * impaired physical mobility as evidenced by dizziness and general weakness related to sensor I perceptual impairment, reluctant to initiate movement and environmental stimuli.

* risk for disease condition related to lack of knowledge about the disease.

* nutrition imbalanced less than body requirements related to nausea and vomiting.