Page 1932 - Saunders Comprehensive Review For NCLEX-RN

retina and that can progress to
blindness.
b. Causes include the aging process (senile
cataracts), heredity (congenital
cataracts), and injury (traumatic
cataracts); cataracts also can result
from another eye disease (secondary
cataracts).
c. Causes of secondary cataracts include
diabetes mellitus, maternal rubella,
severe myopia, ultraviolet light
exposure, and medications such as
corticosteroids.
d. Intervention is indicated when visual
acuity has been reduced to a level that
the client finds unacceptable or that
adversely affects her or his lifestyle.

2. Assessment

a. Blurred vision and decreased color
perception are early signs.
b. Diplopia, reduced visual acuity,
absence of the red reflex, and the
presence of a white pupil are late signs.
Pain or eye redness is associated with
age-related cataract formation.
c. Loss of vision is gradual.
3. Interventions
a. Surgical removal of the lens, 1 eye at a
time, is performed.
b. With extracapsular extraction, the lens
is lifted out without removing the lens
capsule; the procedure may be
performed by phacoemulsification, in
which the lens is broken up by
ultrasonic vibrations and extracted.
c. With intracapsular extraction, the lens
and capsule are removed completely.
d. A partial iridectomy may be performed
with the lens extraction to prevent
acute secondary glaucoma.
e. A lens implantation may be performed
at the time of the surgical procedure.
4. Preoperative interventions

a. Instruct the client regarding the
postoperative measures such as the

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