Mr. Jones, a man incarcerated two days ago when he turned himself in on a drug warrant, is admitted to the jail infirmary in respiratory distress. He had started vomiting earlier in the day. This persisted into the afternoon, when he also became sleepy and hard to arouse. Officers called medical and he was transported to the medical unit. Officers…
Read More
Benzodiazepines are frequently prescribed for anxiety and sleep disorders. They are also popular for self-medicating purposes. They are rarely abused alone, and are often combined with alcohol or opiates. Those who abuse cocaine or methamphetamines may use benzodiazepines to ‘level off’ a high. Once identified, successful benzodiazepine withdrawal requires monitoring and management. Signs of Impending Problems The symptoms and duration…
Read More
At just about every Seizure Disorder presentation for Correctional Nurses I have given or attended, the question of identifying “real” seizures versus “fake” seizures has come up. It is understandable that Correctional Nurses sometimes doubt whether the patient is truly seizing, especially if the seizure presentation is not one that looks like “standard” seizure activity, because there are special privileges…
Read More