Amnesia General Signs and Symptoms :: amnesia may arise suddenly or slowly and may be temporary or permanent. Amnesia—a disturbance in, or loss of, memory—may be classified as partial or complete and as anterograde or retrograde. Organic (or true) amnesia results from temporal lobe dysfunction, and it characteristically spares patches...
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General Sign and Symptoms Amenorrhea The absence of menstrual flow, amenorrhea can be classified as primary or secondary. With primary amenorrhea, menstruation fails to begin before age 16. With secondary amenorrhea, it begins at an appropriate age, but later ceases for 3 or more months in the absence of normal physiologic...
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Agitation General View Agitation refers to a state of hyperarousal, increased tension, and irritability that can lead to confusion, hyperactivity, and overt hostility. It can arise gradually or suddenly and last for minutes or months Agitation alone merely signals a change in the patient’s condition. Whether it’s mild or severe,...
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Accessory Muscle Use When breathing requires extra effort, the accessory muscles—the sternocleidomastoid, scalene, pectoralis major, trapezius, internal intercostals, and abdominal muscles—stabilize the thorax during respiration. Typically, the extent of accessory muscle use reflects the severity of the underlying cause. However, more pronounced use of these muscles may signal acute respiratory...
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Abdominal Rigidity General Signs and Symptoms Abdominal Rigidity [Abdominal Muscle Spasm, Involuntary Guarding] Distinguishing voluntary from involuntary abdominal rigidity is a must for accurate assessment. Review this comparison so that you can quickly tell the two apart. VOLUNTARY RIGIDITY • Usually symmetrical • More rigid on inspiration (expiration causes muscle...
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General Abdominal pain Abdominal pain arises from the abdominopelvic viscera; the parietal peritoneum; or the capsules of the liver, kidney, or spleen Pain may also be referred to the abdomen, sharp, well-localized, referred pain is felt in skin or deeper tissues and may coexist with skin hyperesthesia and muscle hyperalgesia...
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Abdominal Mass Signs and Symptoms Typically, this sign develops insidiously and may represent an enlarged organ, a neoplasm, an abscess, a vascular defect, or a fecal mass. Commonly detected on routine physical examination, an abdominal mass is a localized swelling in one abdominal quadrant. Distinguishing an abdominal mass from a...
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Abdominal Distention Distention may be mild or severe, depending on the amount of pressure. Abdominal distention refers to increased abdominal girth—the result of increased intra-abdominal pressure forcing the abdominal wall outward. It may be localized or diffuse and may occur gradually or suddenly. Abdominal distention may result from fat, flatus,...
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