Case Study Of Osteoporosis

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Physiology Osteoporosis is the loss of bone mass and deterioration of bone matrix resulting in brittle and fragile bones (Weber & Kelley, 2014). The rate of bone resorption is greater than the rate of bone formation, therefore, causing bones to become porous and under stress, can fracture (Drake, Clarke, & Lewiecki, 2015). Conditions that contribute to osteoporosis include poor nutrition, menopause, long-term use of glucocorticoid therapy, and hyperthyroidism are only a few conditions. These conditions all have several related factors that contribute to osteoporosis, breakdown of bone or prevention of bone remodeling. For instance, inadequate dietary intake of vitamin D and calcium can lead to osteoporosis because they are necessary for bone …show more content…

This assures that the nurse is obtaining information about the patient to get a full picture of the patient. For example, Mrs. Jones previous exam she was five foot six inches and on the most recent visit she is five foot and four in a half inches, losing an inch and a half. If the nurse or physician wasn’t comparing the two information they wouldn’t have all the data needed to make a diagnosis. Considering that Mrs. Jones had changes in her height, tests should be performed on to determine if she has osteoporosis. The most common test for diagnosis is by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and quantitative computed tomography (QCT), technology that measures bone mass density (Drake, et al., 2015). In addition, national guidelines now recommend using FRAX, which is a fraction prediction tool (Ferrari, et al., 2012). Laboratory testing should also be performed to assess for possible deficiencies increasing bone loss. For example, serum calcium, phosphate, hematocrit, thyroid dysfunction, vitamin D deficiency (Ferrari, et al., …show more content…

Jones knows about osteoporosis, it is imperative to assess her knowledge. In addition, assessing her dietary intake of calcium is important to ensure she is properly getting the calcium needed for rebuilding of bones. Educating the patient on the use of Mylanta for her acid reflux can decrease the absorption of calcium therefore, preventing bone rebuilding. This is very important for Mrs. Jones as she has lost one and a half inches in height since her last visit. In addition, fall prevention should be stressed to Mrs. Jones. According to Cappola and Shoback (2016) forty six percent of women over fifty will sustain a fracture related to osteoporosis. Therefore, prevention is vital for Mrs. Jones. In addition, Mrs. Jones needs to be educated on the importance of weight bearing exercises, increased intake of calcium and vitamin D, and fall prevention (Cappola & Shoback,

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