1

TOP UP TRAINING CENTER AND RESEARCH CONSULTANCY

ADULT HEALTH NURSING

HALLMARK MANIFESTATIONS OF DISEASES

***NOTE: This list includes the most commonly highlighted manifestations of the following conditions. For the
other assessment findings, kindly refer to other resources.

Condition Hallmark Manifestations Condition Hallmark Manifestations

Bronchial asthma Wheezes, DOB upon Pleural effusion DOB with decreased or
exposure to triggers absent breath sounds
Emphysema Pink puffer; Barrel chest Chronic bronchitis Blue bloater; Productive
cough
Laryngeal cancer Hoarseness; hemoptysis Lung cancer Nagging, chronic cough
Angina pectoris S – sudden Myocardial Infarction S/Sx beyond SAVERS
A – anterior chest - Pain radiating to the left
V – vague side of the body
E – exacerbated by - “Impending sense of
exertion, emotions, eating, doom”
and extreme cold - Pain not relieved by rest
R – relieved by rest and and nitrates
nitrates - Occurs for 30 minutes or
S – short in duration (15 – more
30 mins)
Left-sided HF Pulmonary congestion Right-sided HF Systemic congestion
Pericarditis Chest pain relieved by Cardiac tamponade Beck’s triad (low BP,
orthopneic position; muffled heart sounds,
pericardial friction rub distended neck veins)
Arterial insufficiency 6Ps (Pain, pulselessness Venous insufficiency Dull pain, erythema, edema
pallor,paresthesia, warm to touch
paralysis, poikilothermia) Mngt: Move/place above
Mngt: Rest/place below heart level
heart level
Iron Deficiency Anemia Pallor, easy fatigability, Pernicious anemia Beefy red tongue,
koilonychia paresthesia
Aplastic anemia; Leukemia Pancytopenia (anemia, Polycythemia vera Ruddy skin with pruritus,
leukopenia, splenomegaly, thrombus
thrombocytopenia) formation
Hodgkin’s lymphoma Painless lymphadenopathy; Hemophilia Bleeding (external and
Reed Sternberg cell internal)
Gastric ulcer Epigastric pain (L) Duodenal ulcer Epigastric pain (R) relieved
worsened by eating by eating
GERD; hiatal hernia Regurgitation, chest pain Dumping syndrome Shock-like manifestations
(sweating, weakness, and
palpitations, pallor) 30 mins
after a meal
Irritable bowel syndrome Abdominal pain with Appendicitis RLQ abdominal pain;
alternating diarrhea and Blumberg sign (rebound
constipation tenderness)
Diverticulosis Asymptomatic Diverticulitis LLQ abdominal pain with
change in bowel habits
Crohn’s disease RLQ abdominal pain Ulcerative colitis LLQ abdominal pain
Diarrhea 3-5x/day with Diarrhea 15-20x/day with
mucus blood and mucus
Peritonitis Rigid, board-like abdomen; Colorectal cancer Change in bowel habits; flat,
Blumberg sign ribbon-shaped stools

TopUp Review 2020 – This handout is for exclusive use of TopUp students Page 1
 2

Intestinal obstruction Non-fecal vomiting; Intestinal obstruction Absent stool/flatus; absent

(small intestine) abdominal pain (large intestine) bowel sounds; fecaloid
vomitus
Condition Hallmark Manifestations Condition Hallmark Manifestations
Liver disease (general) Jaundice, pruritis; acholic Hepatic encephalopathy Asterixis; Altered LOC
stool; tea-colored urine

GB disease (cholecystitis / Biliary colic (RUQ–back– Pancreatitis Severe epigastric pain

cholelithiasis) scapula–R shoulder) after a aggravated by fatty meal;
fatty meal; Murphy’s sign Hypocalcemia steatorrhea;
Cullen’s/Turner’s sign
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) Hyperglycemia w/ ketonuria; Hyperglycemic Hyperglycemia without
Kussmaul’s breathing; hyperosmolar non-ketotic ketonuria; ALOC; Polyuria,
ALOC; Polyuria, polydipsia syndrome (HHNS) polydipsia

Hypothyroidism Hypocalcemia (Tetany) Hyperthyroidism Hypercalcemia

(constipation, kidney
stones)
Hypoparathyroidism Bradycardia, constipation, Hyperparathyroidism Tachycardia, diarrhea, heat
cold intolerance, lethargy, intolerance, restlessness,
weight gain weight loss + eye signs
Diabetes insipidus Polyuria; fluid volume deficit SIADH Oliguria; fluid volume deficit
Addison’s disease Hypoglycemia Cushing’s disease Hyperglycemia, fat deposits
HypoNa, hyperK HyperNa, hypoK
Hypotension Hypertension
Ischemic CVA Gradual occurrence of Hemorrhagic CVA Sudden occurrence of
increased ICP sx increased ICP sx
Parkinson’s disease T – Tremors (unintentional) Multiple Sclerosis S – Scanning speech
R – Rigidity I – Intentional tremors
A – Akinesia N – Nystagmus
P – Postural Instability
Myasthenia Gravis Descending paralysis Guillain-Barre syndrome Ascending paralysis
Urolithiasis Painful hematuria Bladder cancer Painless hematuria
Renal failure (general) Fluid volume overload Fractures MSK: Pain, crepitus;
Azotemia; HTN, Edema SADDER deformity
HyperK; Hypo/hyperNa Neurovascular: 6Ps
HypoCa; HyperP
Osteoarthritis (OA) Pain upon activity; Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) Pain upon rest; Boutonniere
Bouchard’s and Heberden’s and Swan neck deformity
nodes
Cataract Painless blurring of visions Retinal detachment FFF: floaters, flashes of
light, falling curtain in visual
field
Acute glaucoma Eye pain; halos/rainbows Chronic glaucoma No eye pain; halos/rainbows
around lights around lights; tunnel vision
Meniere’s disease DVT (Deafness, vertigo,
tinnitus)

TopUp Review 2020 – This handout is for exclusive use of TopUp students Page 2
 3

SOME VALUES TO REMEMBER

***NOTE: Some values may differ from other sources. Most of these values were derived from Brunner and
Suddarth’s Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing. Further, there are other laboratory tests which are not included
here.

HEMATOLOGY
RBC 4.2 – 6 million/cu mm WBC 5,000 – 10,000/cu mm
Hgb 12 – 18 g/dl Neutrophils 45 – 73%
Hct F: 35 – 47% M: 42 – 52% Platelets 150,000 – 450,000/cu mm
ESR F: < 30 mm/hr M: < 20 mm/hr Prothrombin Time (PT) 9.5 – 12 seconds
Activated Partial 20 – 39 seconds International 1.0
thromboplastin Normalized Ratio (INR)
time (aPTT)
BLOOD CHEMISTRY
Na 135 – 145 mEq/L BUN 10 – 20 mg/dL
K 3.5 – 5 mEq/L Creatinine 0.7–1.4 mg/dL
Ca 8.5 – 10 mg/dl Creatinine clearance 75 – 125 mL/min
Mg 1.5 – 2.5 mEq/L BUA 2.5 – 8 mg/dL
P 3.5 – 4.5 mg/dL Bilirubin (Total) 0.3–1.0 mg/dL
Cl 97 – 107 mEq/L AST, ALT 10–40 U/L
FBS Fasting: 60–110 mg/dL Amylase 111–296 U/L
Postprandial (2 h): 65–140 mg/dL
HbA1c < 6% Lipase <200 U/L
Albumin 3.5 – 5.5 g/dL TPAG 6 – 8 g/dL
Iron 50–160/g/dL Cholesterol 150 – 200 mg/dL

SPECIAL DIETS FOR SPECIFIC CONDITIONS

Condition Diet Condition Diet

Burns (emergent phase) NPO Bronchial asthma Hypoallergenic diet (Low CHON)
Burns (Recovery period) High CHON, CHO, A, B, C COPD Low CHO
Tonsillitis (acute) Soft diet, increased fluids CAD/Angina/MI Low Na, low fat; small frequent
meals
Post-tonsillectomy Clear, cold fluids (NO to milk Heart failure Low Na, decreased fluids
containing substances)
Hypothyroidism Low calorie, CHO, fat Anemia High Fe
High fiber, increase fluids
Hypoparathyroidism High Ca and Vitamin D Hyperthyroidism High calorie, CHO & CHON
Low fiber, increase fluids
Addison’s disease High CHO, fat, Na Hyperparathyroidism Low Ca and increased fluids
Low K
Esophagitis; achalasia; Low fat and no alcohol, Cushing’s disease Low CHO, fat, Na
GERD; Hiatal hernia; PUD spices, acidic, and caffeine- High K
containing
Small frequent meals
Irritable bowel syndrome High fiber diet, avoid fatty Dumping syndrome Low CHO, high fat
and gas forming foods Fluids in between meals
Small frequent meals
Colostomy Avoid the ff: gas forming, Liver cirrhosis High calorie
high fiber, food that cause (complicated) Low CHON, Na, fat, and
flatus to be foul smelling decreased fluids
Diverticulitis Low fiber diet Liver cirrhosis High calorie
(recovering) Moderate CHON, low to
moderate fat
Cholecystitis/ cholelithiasis Low fat Pancreatitis (acute NPO

TopUp Review 2020 – This handout is for exclusive use of TopUp students Page 3
 4

attack)
Renal failure Low Na, Low K, Low CHON Pancreatitis (general) Elemental diet
High CHON, low fat
Diabetes mellitus Low CHO (simple); CHO Inflammatory bowel Bland diet
sources from fruits, disorders (Crohn’s High calories, CHON, vitamins &
vegetables, and grains disease; ulcerative minerals
High CHON (Lean meat and colitis) Low fat
plant sources) Avoid high fiber, hot and cold
Low saturated fat (fats from fluids, dairy products, caffeine,
healthy sources) alcohol, smoking

TopUp Review 2020 – This handout is for exclusive use of TopUp students Page 4

Copy protected with Online-PDF-No-Copy.com