Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (5th edition)

This newly updated Handbook of Signs & Symptoms, 5e proves it is still the must-have clinical nursing tool for improving patient safety, by increasing assessment accuracy. Quick-scan entries from A to Z offer the on-the-spot answers you need for more than 500 signs and symptoms, covering definitions, causes, patient history, exams, diagnostics, and interventions. Save time and increase your assessment confidence: Reach for this crucial guide! You can improve patient safety with...NEW signs and symptoms related to emerging diseases and disorders, including avian influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, Kawasaki disease, and the currently epidemic metabolic syndrome; NEW appendix provides definitions and common causes of 250 less-familiar or nonspecific signs and symptoms; NEW techniques for evoking patient responses; NEW pediatric, psychiatric, and nail and tongue signs; and, NEW focus on obtaining health history needed for comprehensive, reliable documentation. It features: Quick-reference A to Z format that arms you with assessment guidance for 530 signs and symptoms; Convenient carry-it-with-you [or keep-it-handy] size; Up-to-date methods for determining each sign or symptom's identity, cause, and nursing implications; description of sign or symptom is followed by: History and physical examination - Guidelines for detailed history and exam: what to ask, what to examine, and how; Emergency interventions - Life-, limb-, and organ-threatening signs and symptoms, with recommended nursing interventions; Medical causes - Differential diagnosis: common causative diseases and disorders related to each sign and symptom, and subtle indicators that keep assessments on track; and, other causes - Medications and herbal remedies associated with each complaint. It also includes: Special considerations - Patient positioning to ease comfort; preparation for diagnostic testing; reducing anxiety; signs of complications; Patient counseling - Patient teaching for comfort and safety; explaining causes, treatment, and possible outcomes; providing support referrals; Pediatric pointers, Geriatric pointers, and Gender cues - Age and gender issues affecting sign and symptom's presentation, detection, and interpretation; Charts that help differentiate among a sign or symptom's multiple causes, and differences among similar signs and symptoms; and, Tables on signs and symptoms relating to bioterrorism agents and herbal remedies.