Faulkner State Community College; Division of Nursing

NUR 201
Clinical Paperwork Data Sheet

Student Name___________________________________ Clinical Week_______________________________

Date _____________ Client Initials__________ Age _______________ Admission Date ______________

Instructor_______________________________________ Clinical Area ________________________________

Medical Diagnosis and Pathophysiology: (Be sure to list signs and symptoms). Please indicate your
source of information.

Alzheimers disease (AD), also known as dementia Alzheimers type (DAT), is a chronic, progressive,
degenerative disease that accounts for 60% of the dementias occurring in people older than 65 years of age.
It may also be seen less commonly in people in their 40s and 50s, which is referred to as early dementia,
Alzheimer type, or presenile dementia, Alzheimer type. It is characterized by loss of memory, judgement, and
visuospacial perception, and by a change in personality. Over time the patient becomes increasingly
cognitively impaired; severe physical deterioration takes place and death occurs as a result of complications
of immobility.

Examination by computerized tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imagery (MRI) reveals a
degenerative pathology of the brain that includes atrophy, widened cortical sulci, and enlarged cerebral
ventricles. Microscopic examinations reveal numerous neurofibrillary tangles and senile plaques in the
brains of patients with Alzheimers disease. These changes apparently occur as a part of the normal aging
process. However in patients with Alzheimers disease, they are found in dramatically increased numbers,
and their profusion is concentrated in the hippocampus and certain parts of the cerebral cortex. In addition
to the structural changes in the brain associated with AD, abnormalities in the neurotransmitters
(acetylcholine, norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin) may occur.
The exact cause of Alzheimers disease is unknown. Several hypotheses have been supported and include:
Acetylcholine alterations. The enzyme required to produce acetylcholine is dramatically reduced.
Accumulation of aluminum. Several studies have reported higher concentrations of aluminum in the
brains of Alzheimers patients than in those of healthy older persons without dementia.
Alterations in the immune system. Studies have shown that antibodies are produced in the
Alzheimers brain, but the antibodies produced are unknown. The reactions are actually autoantibody
production-suggesting a possible alteration in the bodys immune system as an etiological factor.
Head Trauma. Studies have shown that a large number of individuals who had experienced head
trauma subsequently developed Alzheimers disease.
Genetic Factors. There is clearly a familial pattern with some forms of Alzheimers disease. Studies
indicate that early-onset cases are more likely to be familial than late-onset cases and that from one
third to one half of all cases may be of the genetic form. Research has found that there is a link
between Alzheimers disease and the alteration of a gene found on chromosome 21, making people
with Downs syndrome more susceptible to Alzheimers disease.

Medical-Surgical Nursing 5th Edition, Ignatavicius & Workman

Essentials of Psychiatric Nursing 3 rd Edition, Mary C. Townsend

List and prioritize any secondary diagnosis that has been identified for your client (Based on your patient's
problems).

1. 5.
2. 6.
3. 7.
4.