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Treatments for Amnesia
Treatments of Amnesia: Online Medical Books
16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the treatments of Amnesia.
Amnesia:
Treatment
(In a Page: Signs and Symptoms)
- Immediate attention to airway, breathing, and circulation
-
Prompt treatment of suspected infections and trauma
–CNS infections: Antibiotic and/or antiviral therapy
–Head trauma: Surgical intervention may be necessary to
evacuate space-occupying traumatic lesions; concussions are treated symptomatically, and patients should refrain from contact sports until symptoms resolve; control elevated intracranial pressure with head elevation, moderate hyperventilation, mannitol administration, and/or surgical drainage - Alzheimer's disease: Anticholinesterase medications (e.g., tacrine, donepezil) may improve cognitive function
- Seizure disorders: Anticonvulsant agents (e.g., phenytoin, carbamazepine, valproate)
Alzheimer's disease:
Treatment
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Therapy consists of attempts to slow disease progression, manage behavioral problems, modify the home environment, and elicit family support. Some medications have proven helpful. Tacrine, a centrally acting anticholinesterase agent, is given to treat memory deficits. It has slowed progression of the disease and improved cognitive function in some patients. Other agents include donepezil and rivastigmine. Underlying disorders that contribute to the patient’s confusion, such as hypoxia, are also identified and treated.
Dissociative amnesia:
Treatment
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Psychotherapy aims to help the patient recognize the traumatic event that triggered the amnesia and the anxiety it produced. A trusting, therapeutic relationship is essential to achieving this goal. The therapist subsequently attempts to teach the patient reality-based coping strategies.
Alzheimer's disease:
Treatment
(Handbook of Diseases)
A cerebral vasodilator (such as ergoloid mesylate or isoxsuprine) is prescribed to enhance the brain’s circulation; hyperbaric oxygen, to increase oxygenation to the brain; a psychostimulator (such as methylphenidate), to enhance the patient’s mood; and an antidepressant, to treat depression, if that seems to exacerbate the patient’s dementia. Donepezil and nivastigmine, which are centrally acting anticholinesterases, are given to treat memory deficits.
Most drug therapies being used are experimental. These include choline salts, lecithin, physostigmine, enkephalins, and naloxone, which may slow the disease process. Antioxidant therapy is also being investigated. Another approach to treatment includes avoiding the use of antacids containing aluminum, aluminum cooking utensils, and aluminum-containing deodorants to help decrease aluminum intake.
Confusion:
Patient counseling
(Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses)
To help the patient stay oriented, keep a large calendar and a clock visible, and make a list of his activities with specific dates and times. Always reintroduce yourself to the patient each time you enter his room.
Confusion:
Nursing considerations
(Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms)
▪ Never leave a confused patient unattended, to prevent injury to himself and others.
▪ Take measures to ensure patient safety.
▪ Keep the patient calm and quiet, and plan uninterrupted rest periods.
▪ Correct the underlying cause of the patient's confusion.
Patient teaching
▪ To help the patient stay oriented, keep a large calendar and a clock visible, and make a list of his activities with specific dates and times.
▪ Always reintroduce yourself to the patient each time you enter his room.
▪ If possible, explain to the patient and his family the cause of his confusion.
Amnesia:
Nursing considerations
(Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms)
▪ Prepare the patient for diagnostic tests, such as computed tomography scan, magnetic resonance imaging, EEG, or cerebral angiography.
▪ Provide reality orientation for the patient with retrograde amnesia, and encourage his family to help by supplying familiar photos, objects, and music.
▪ If the patient has severe amnesia, consider basic needs, such as safety, elimination, and nutrition. If necessary, arrange for placement in an extended-care facility.
Patient teaching
▪ Adjust your patient-teaching techniques for the patient with anterograde amnesia because he can't acquire new information.
▪ Include his family in teaching sessions. In addition, write down all instructions—particularly medication dosages and schedules—so the patient won't have to rely on his memory.
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