Name: Lynette Helminen

Topic: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Various therapies

Muscle twitching/cramping/weakness

Mechanical Ventilation
Cellular Changes

May require

Dyspnea

Rilutek

-Nerves supplying motor neurons

degenerate
-Muscle cells become malnourished
-Muscles atrophy
(Kids Health, 2014) causing

Changes in defense

Dysphagia
Symptom Relief

Treatment options
(Mayo Clinic, 2014)

-Slower speaking and difficulty with

movement
-Communicating needs
-Physical protection
-Pressure ulcers
(Armon, 2014)

Slow speech
Clinical manifestations
(Armon, 2014)

Leads to

To detect

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

ALS is progressive degenerative disease of both upper
and lower motor neurons which causes muscle wasting
and atrophy of extremities. Its believed to be caused
by gene mutation, virus, dysfunctional mitochondria,
immune response, protein aggregation or chemical
imbalances. (Copstead & Banasik, 2013)
include

Leads to

inhibits
Changes in Gas Exchange
-Respiratory muscles weaken
-Difficulty breathing
-Hypoventilation
-Respiratory acidosis
(Hale & Hovey, 2014)

Fluid & Electrolyte Imbalances

Risk Factors:
(Copstead &
Banasik, 2013)
High Glutamate Levels

Diagnosis:
(Mayo Clinic, 2014)
Signs & Symptoms
Medical History

Environmental Factors
Heredity
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Age/Sex

Neuro Exams

-Dysphagia
-Decreased fluid intake
-Clinical Dehydration
-ECV Deficit
-Hypernatremia
(Kasarskis, 2012)

Name: Lynette Helminen

Topic: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

References:
Armon, C. (2014, May 2). Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Clinical Presentation. Medscape. Retrieved from http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1170097-clinical.
Copstead, L., & Banasik, J. (2013). Chronic Disorders of Neurologic Function. Pathophysiology (5th ed., pp. 935). St. Louis, Missouri: Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier.
Hale, A., & Hovey, M. J. (2014). Acid-Base Imbalances. Fluid, Electrolyte, and Acid-Base Imbalances (pp. 185). Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: F.A. Davis Company.
Kasarskis, E. (2012, August). How to Avoid the Risks of Dehydration. ALS Association. Retrieved from http://www.alsa.org/als-care/resources/als-insight/archive/august-2012.html.
Kids Health. (1995-2014). Lou Gehrigs Disease (ALS). Retrieved from http://kidshealth.org/kid/grownup/conditions/als.html.
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2014, April 9). Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/amyotrophic-lateral
sclerosis/basics/definition/con-20024397

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