Working with Bariatric Patients

Working with Bariatric Patients There is a significant increase in the number of Bariatric patients seeking medical care. Obesity has become a major epidemic in America, and it is creating an increase in patients receiving treatment in hospitals and medical clinics.

Conditions Related to Obesity  Diabetes Type 2 is a condition often affecting individuals that are overweight. 7 million people are undiagnosed diabetics, which is an indication of why this condition is often referred to as a silent killer.

It's important to know that diabetes does not always have symptoms, so it's important to get regular checkups. There are some symptoms associated with this medical condition, they include: Extreme thirst Sudden and rapid weight loss Lethargic, tired more than usual Frequent urination If a patient complains of any or all of these symptoms, its imperative, their blood glucose be checked during fasting. For diabetic patients that lose just 10% of their body weight, it can lower their glucose numbers by as much as 30%, which should be encouraging for patients. Newly diagnosed diabetic patients should be educated about their condition and necessary lifestyle changes. Many hospitals offer seminars in diabetes education, which can be suggested to patients learning to adapt to this condition. It is important for a patient to understand the seriousness of diabetes; however, they should also be reminded that under most circumstances, this is a manageable condition. • Hypertension- also referred to as the silent killer, high blood pressure often goes undetected, with no symptoms. Patients with a diagnosis of high blood pressure should be encouraged to take their prescribed medications to treat their conditions. Providing pertinent literature may also be beneficial to help with diet and exercise. • Obesity can put a strain on joints, bones, and the body itself.

Weakened knees are often a condition suffered by overweight patients, and back pain is very common even in the moderately overweight.

Related: Reasons Why you Should Keep Relationships with your Professors Working with Bariatric Patients

As with any medical condition, never judge someone because of their diagnosis, or medical condition. Many people struggle with weight, and often face a stigma placed on them by society. Overweight patients may have genetic tendencies to be overweight, or it may be due to an eating disorder, regardless of the cause, it is a medical condition and should be addressed as such.

Patients that are extremely obese may have skin breakdown on their body that needs to be monitored. One consideration in this area is that the patient may be embarrassed, so it's important to be professional, however, make them feel at ease, everyone has problems to some degree, and theirs may be a struggle with weight control.

Weight Loss Surgery Some patients that are overweight may opt to have weight loss surgery.

There are several options when selecting to have weight loss surgery.      Related:

Adjustable gastric banding Sleeve gastrectomy Gastric bypass, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass Maestro rechargeable system Diversion Balancing Family and Career

Restrictive surgeries work by shrinking the size of the stomach. A normal sized stomach holds about 3 pints of food, after surgery, it may only hold as little as one ounce. In this surgery, it is often performed so that the stomach may stretch to comfortably hold two - three ounces of food. This type of surgery does have side effects, if the patient consumes too much food, they can get violently sick. Nutrition has to be monitored closely due to lack of calories. Gastric banding is another form of surgery, not as restrictive, however, it still comes with side effects. This type of surgery does allow the surgeon to adjust the band when needed, there is some benefit to this as nutritional needs change. Some of the latest technology involves implanting an electrical device into the patient. The device interrupts nerve signals between the stomach and the brain, eliminating the feeling that food must be consumed. There are many weight loss surgical clinics, some affiliated with hospitals. Many offer surgical procedures on an outpatient basis; however, patients should be monitored closely for complications.

Childhood Obesity Very much in today's headlines, childhood obesity is at an all time high.

With online everything, it makes it easy to sit behind a computer instead of engaging in physical activities. Parents of obese children should be encouraged to incorporate physical activities and healthy eating in the child's life. Some children's hospitals now offer programs for both parents and children to educate in nutrition and lifestyle changes to combat obesity.

Regardless of the amount of weight that a patient needs to lose, it is in their best interest to reach, and maintain a healthy weight. Encouragement goes much further than criticism, so try to show understanding to the overweight patient, and offer praise for even a small amounts of weight loss. The patient may not have a strong support system, so any encouragement is probably much appreciated.

Related: International Nurses Association Please follow us on Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest and Twitter