Hyperthyroidism / Graves disease
Structured condition card with NCLEX priority cues and nursing action focus.
Endocrinehigh priorityneeds review
Hyperthyroidism / Graves disease
Etiology / Pathophysiology
- Excess thyroid hormone; Graves disease is autoimmune stimulation of thyroid receptors.
- Metabolism runs fast, increasing heart rate, heat production, and nervous system stimulation.
Medications
| Class | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Antithyroid medications | Reduces hormone production. |
| Beta blockers | Controls tachycardia and tremor symptoms. |
Nursing actions
- Assess tachycardia, heat intolerance, weight loss, tremor, and eye symptoms.
- Monitor for thyroid storm signs: fever, severe tachycardia, agitation.
- Teach antithyroid infection warning: fever or sore throat.
Complications
- Thyroid storm
- Atrial fibrillation
- Heart failure
- Eye injury in Graves
NCLEX cues
- High metabolism: hot, fast, thin, anxious.
- Thyroid storm is emergency.
Memory hooks
- Hyperthyroid equals high metabolism.
Labs / Diagnostics
- Trend assessment findings and ordered diagnostics; verify exact values with school source material.
Review notes
- Session-derived study seed. Verify against school materials, ATI/NCLEX review sources, current orders, and facility policy before relying on details.