What it means
In vision, halos are bright or colored rings a person sees around lights. They can come with cataracts, glaucoma, eye surgery or drug effects such as digoxindih-JOK-sinA drug that makes the heart beat more strongly and more slowly.Full entry toxicity. In orthopedics, a halo is a metal ring held to the skull with pins and joined by rods to a vest, keeping the cervical spine still after a fracture or surgery (a halo vest or halo brace).
For the nurse
Ask a client who reports halos when they started and report new ones. For a halo vest, keep the wrench taped to the vest for emergencies, clean the pin sites as ordered and watch them for infection, and never lift the client by the frame.
At a glance
| Also written | halos |
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Related terms
digoxin
A drug that makes the heart beat more strongly and more slowly.
spinal cord
The long bundle of nerves that runs down through the backbone and carries messages between the brain and the body.
glaucoma
An eye disease in which the optic nerve is damaged, usually with raised pressure inside the eye, leading to loss of vision.