Obesity is common among children in the United States and between 2011 and 2014 obesity was detected more in preschoolers than school-aged children (Ogden, Carroll, Fryar, & Flegal, 2015). The overweight 5-year-old boy with overweight parents will be at the center of this week’s discussion. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] (2015a), a child is said to be overweight when he or she has a body mass index at the 85th percentile and less than 95th percentile for children and teen of similar age and gender. The issue of childhood obesity is a multifaceted health problem, and the causes are parallel to those in adults which includes genetic and behavioral aspects.
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Health Issues and Risks
An overweight child is at risk for some diseases commonly type 2 diabetes and other conditions such as hypertension, liver disease and heart disease (University of California San Francisco [UCSF], 2015). According to USCF (2015), about 40 percent of overweight children will experience some metabolic syndrome. NURS 6512 Week 3 Obesity Essay Discussion examples.
Additional Information Needed
Obtaining the child’s data such as height and weight will help calculate his BMI. The BMI is commonly used to assess total body fat. According to Faguy (2016), when you have both parents who are obese, it certainly increases the chances of their children becoming obese. To determine the cause of the child’s obesity, the following questions are vital.
What does your child eat in a day?
Does your child stay indoors?
iii. Do you have a family history of obesity?
What do you think is responsible for your child’s obesity?
Encouraging caregivers
The best way to encourage caregivers would be to reinforce healthy eating such as including more fruits and vegetables and less fatty or sugary foods in the child’s diet. The parents also have to start eating right to be able to effect any change in their child. Encourage the parents to be more active than sedentary; educating them on the benefits of allowing the child to be physically active by going to the park or going on a walk with the child will aid in weight control. NURS 6512 Week 3 Obesity Essay Discussion examples.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015a). Defining childhood obesity. Retrieved from Walden Library Database
Faguy, K. (2016, January). Obesity in children and adolescents: Health effects and imaging implications.
Radiologic Technology
,
87
(3), 279-298. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Ogden, C. L., Carroll, M., Fryar, C., & Flegal, K. M. (2015). Prevalence of obesity among adults and youth: United States, 2011-2014. Retrieved from Walden University Database NURS 6512 Week 3 Obesity Essay Discussion examples
University of California San Francisco. (2015). Health risks of overweight children. Retrieved from https://www.ucsfbenioffchildrens.org/education/health_risks_for_overweight_childr
Week 3 discussion NURS-6512
The scenario: an overweight 5-year-old boy who has parents that are also overweight. In the United States, the obesity rates in children have tripled in the last three decades (Obesity Society, 2014). An estimated one of every six children are overweight, with children of Mexican and Native American decent being at highest risk for weights greater than the 85 percentiles, with estimates between 35-40 % (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention[CDC], 2017). These numbers make obesity the most common nutritional disorder in the United States. The purpose of this week’s discussion explores how to gather information and encourage parental involvement in assuring and maintaining a healthy weight for their child.
In the scenario, both parents are overweight. Studies have shown that children with two obese parents are 10-12 times more likely to be obese than children with parents that are not overweight (Fuemmeler, Lovelady, Zucker, & Ostbye,2013). The weight gain often occurs in early childhood between the ages of 3-5 years, these children tend to be less active physically and prefer foods high in fat to healthier options (Fuemmeler, Lovelady, Zucker, & Ostbye,2013). Parenting style, a mother with diabetes during pregnancy (gestational) and lower income levels are also risk factors for childhood obesity (CDC, 2017) NURS 6512 Week 3 Obesity Essay Discussion examples.
Talking About It
The first step to addressing a child weight is to do a complete physical assessment to identify the presence of any abnormal findings. The results of the physical assessment may provide a segue way for addressing a specific issue or lifestyle concern and offering options for change. Observing the parents weight, asking questions related to activity level, food choices and eating habits along with physical assessment and height to weight ratios provide insight into the risk of obesity (Obesity Society,2014). Socioeconomic status should also be considered and if warranted the practitioner should be able to suggest possible resources for assistance. While addressing a child’s weight with a parent may be uncomfortable for both the parents and the provider, it is important that parents understand the health risks associated with childhood obesity. NURS 6512 Week 3 Obesity Essay Discussion examples.
Strategies for Prevention
There are many ways to approach the topic of obesity. A few of the possible strategies include: education regarding the likelihood of future health issues like heart disease and diabetes, encouraging diets low in saturated fats and carbohydrates, focus on the importance of an active lifestyle, tracking of health history, birth weights, ethnic, socioeconomic and environmental factors as well as monitoring the height and weight of all children yearly and calculating body mass index (BMI) in older children or adolescence (Obesity Society, 2014).
Conclusion
Obesity is not just about physical appearance. It is about health and maintaining it. Addressing the parents of an overweight child may be uncomfortable and the importance of a tactful approach cannot be understated. I believe that most parents want what is best for their children and will do what they can to assure the health of their child NURS 6512 Week 3 Obesity Essay Discussion examples.
Reference:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], (2017). Childhood Overweight and
CLC: Phase 1-Proposing, Evaluating, and Selecting an Innovation
During Phase 1, each individual will submit their own idea for an innovation along with a model they find useful for evaluating its merits. Each team member is responsible for completing research on various models. While there are several models in circulation for evaluating innovations, such as The Lean StartUp Plan, NOMMAR, SNIFF, and the linear and mental models of innovation, innovators should not feel constrained by any particular model. Feel free to borrow elements from multiple models to develop one that would work best to most effectively evaluate your own innovation.
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Teams will then review all of the submissions and choose the most promising idea to pursue. The idea should be selected by application of one of the evaluation models submitted by team members. You will then write a report of 1,500-2,500 words that describes the team’s selection process and identifies the final choice. The report must contain the following components:
1. A one- or two-paragraph summary of each team member’s idea, a description of the model used to evaluate the idea, and the results of the evaluation. Specifically, the evaluation should identify the merits, drawbacks, and challenges associated with the idea.
2. Identification of the selected idea for the project accompanied by a description of the model used to evaluate the idea. Include the results of the evaluation, which will serve as the justification for the team’s selection. Preliminarily forecast the most significant challenges that could impede the development of the selected idea. CLC: Phase 1-Proposing, Evaluating, and Selecting an Innovation.
3. A project plan that summarizes the roles or tasks assigned to each team member that must be accomplished to complete Phase 2 of the project due in Module 6.
4. In-text citations from at least five reputable secondary sources. Each person on the team must contribute an article from the research that was completed on innovation implementation/evaluation models.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required
Many people however, do not realize that you need to have a process or model to base their direction on. Each person shared an innovation that they want to have come alive and how they purpose to have the innovation model, the assignments for each team member to help complete phase two that is due Module 6, as well as information from research on how to implement the models for each innovation purposed by the team members.
Innovation Idea 1
Team Member 1’s innovative idea is to create a subscription based, home based business forum and membership site for those that choose a home-based business from the site. Members will pay a monthly subscription to be able to utilize the site and all of its resources to move forward in their business endeavor.
There does not seem to be one internet site that anyone could join for a monthly fee and choose from hundreds of already successful home-based business models, have the tools and resources readily available to use, and to have a community of similar business owners to communicate with, all in one place. The marketing and advertising infrastructure would already be established for the different types of home-based businesses and as part of the monthly fee. The site would include legal advice, access to business mentors, and a group of professionals available to help members grow their business without emergent chaos because of the structure and processes already in place. There would be preexisting web templates to help set up a website, as well as other legal documents and accounting templates all with instructions on how to use them.
In researching home based business opportunities, there are many websites and articles available that make suggestions on where to look for more resources or information. One such example is 67 Home Based Business ideas, Start Making Money Now, (Rose, J. 2019). The number one suggestion is to become an Uber driver. There are no websites that exist that truly enable the business to be created with the sites resources as the infrastructure.
The service is needed and appears to be a service that consumers would pay for. The drawbacks of this ideas are; the market potential is unknown, the cost is unknown to create the site, the return on investment is unknown and building a portal like this can be time consuming and costly. The challenges are; much more research needs to be completed before proceeding. While the challenges are significant and the risk is large, the payoff could be incredible and larger than other innovators like Uber.
Innovation Idea 2
Team Member 2’s idea is a customizable home décor site where you are able to design your own décor to fit your style and customize the size/color to best fit the space. There would also be different styles and brands that the customer is able to use as inspirations and a model to build your own styles from. Consumers would be able to design and customize any home decor that they would want and custom fit it for their space. They would then place their order and the custom workman’s would put your idea into life and mail it out to you as soon as it is done. This is great for people that have tons of ideas but don’t have the time or ability to make the things themselves.
Team Member 2 put this idea to the SNIFF test, the competitive advantage of this idea is that consumers would have the flexibility of being able to order any home décor that they create or want to have made by a workman for their home. This would be a lot more convenient and creative than any home store that is in existence right now. I believe that a competitor would be able to make an argument for a winning by taking the opposite approach. This idea would still win though because a lot of the consumer’s fun and creativity comes out of them being able to design the product themselves. CLC: Phase 1-Proposing, Evaluating, and Selecting an Innovation.
Innovation Idea 3
Team Member 3’s innovation idea is a home shipping company that you can have a better selection at picking the day and time of the delivery at no extra cost. In this day and age, a lot of people get packages stolen, and it is worrisome to the working class or just those who are away from home a lot. With this company it would give you the week of it would be ready, and you could pick which day of the week you would want it on. Also, you could pick in 2 hour increments the best time of delivery instead of something like by end of day. The main idea is to give customers better open availability and be able to have a more exact timeframe to be able to expect whatever it is that they are ordering.
Team Member 3 put this idea to the SNIFF test being that home shipping is a huge business as of right now. This would be very convenient and easy for consumers because online shopping has become more popular than shopping in store due to people being so busy all the time. This fits one of the main questions of SNIFF which is is there a sizable market for this endeavor. (2011) There are already popular shipping companies such as DHL, UPS or FEDEX, although these companies are only able to give time frames such as end of day or by 8 P.M, and most of the time these are just vague estimates. This company would also have the big idea of more accuracy to keep the shopper updated and in tune with their purchases. CLC: Phase 1-Proposing, Evaluating, and Selecting an Innovation.
Innovation Idea 4
Team Member 4’s innovation idea is to re-design an item that every one of us uses, the toilet. With how many germophobes in the world today we should have a toilet for the home use that you do not have to use your hands to flush. I know they already have the self-flushing toilets; however, they are too expensive that people will not put them in their house or even in smaller businesses. My idea is to make a toilet that has a foot flush on it so that way no one has to use their hands for the flushing. I think making a model for this type of innovation and the results of an evaluation. We could easily identify the merits, drawbacks, and the challenges associate with this idea.
Team Member 4 put this idea to the NOMMAR, which the first questions that needs to be asked is there a need for the product or is it more of a want. The foot flush toilet is more of a need as more and more people are becoming more aware of germs. Touching anything in the bathroom causes a huge spread of germs and some people use their hand to flush the toilet with their hands while others use their foot to flush a public toilet. This innovation has lots of potential on the on the target market. I think anyone who has a toilet in their house or business, this innovation would be an easy and cheaper way than having an auto flush toilet that does not always work properly. Now after answering all of these specific items about the innovation of a Foot Flush Toilet then you should have the ability to come up with the answer to, “should we do it?” (Terwilliger, 2011).
Innovation Idea 5
Team Member 5’s innovation is a Smart Car Seat, as a parent one thing you cannot afford to forget is leaving your sleeping child in the back of the car. Smart Car Seat can help ease the minds of parents by reminding them to double check if their child is still in the car. This device is small enough to fit on a key ring with the vehicles keys and can be connected to a phone app. If the car seat detects weight and/or the car seat buckle is locked while the device is a certain distance from the car, the device will buzz, beep, and blink to alert the parent. The smart car seat can also be linked to the phone app to send alerts to phone, so no child is left behind. The target group would be new parents, nannies, babysitters, grandparents, or anyone who is driving with a young child or infant. CLC: Phase 1-Proposing, Evaluating, and Selecting an Innovation.
The evaluation model used was SNIFF (Terwilliger, 2011). The smart car seat is a device that will help many parents ease their anxiety and unfortunately society need as an option because of the amount of children that are left in the car. This device can have a positive impact on families and even save the life of a child. It is feasible because of technology today, and can be easily linked to a smart phone. This will give parents the peace of mind they are looking for. A few drawbacks would be the target audience and the growth of technology. This device would be for those who have young children, and once those children grow out of a car seat, then there is not a need for the device. Also with technology continuously growing, the product would most likely need to “update” and improve constantly.
Chosen Innovation and Model Used to Evaluate It
Choosing a model was not easy as every single person did an outstanding job coming up with innovations. However, when it came down to it the chosen innovation was the home décor design site for those that want to be able to enter in information and dimensions of rooms or spaces within the home and then be able to enter in other data such as wall or floor colors, insert furniture photos from the owners exiting furniture and then also enter in new furniture or accessory options. The site would use partner products and purchases of those partner products would fund the site.
The issue with home décor and design, is that first one has to easily be able to enter in the customers current living spaces information and have it visually populate the data correctly and give an accurate visual representation of the existing space and then the ability to add new or change design elements and have them accurately represented with the ability to purchase them at competitive prices. The site would have to have its own complete infrastructure and the ability to be flexible, adaptive and ever changing.
N(Need). Q. Is there a customer need? Will someone want it?
There appears to be a need for this service. The service already esists. There are many home décor and design websites available that allow for import and design using 3d modeling. An example is https://freshome.com/10-best-free-online-virtual-room-programs-and-tools/
In order for the idea to be innovative, the group would need to meet and determine what different features, functionality, ease of use and what different end desired result would we want to create in order to be innovative.
O(Options) Q. Are there technology options or partner companies available that could meet the need?
The technology exists to create such a web site. There are companies that exist to create the portal, populate the portal and maintain the portal.
M(Market) Q. Is there market potential? Will someone pay for the service? CLC: Phase 1-Proposing, Evaluating, and Selecting an Innovation
There is market potential for this service. In starting a web-based décor and design site, the demand is clear as there are many participants in the market already. Th real question is how do we create something new and differentiating from the existing choices that are already out there?
M(Model) Q. Could someone create the home décor and design portal? Can this be done and is there an existing model of success that could be referenced?
Yes- there are many existing choices out there.us
A(Approach) Q. Could we do it? Could we create this company? Do we have the resources? Is it worth the risk? Will the endeavor be met with resistance?
We are a group of venture capitalists that are evaluating this innovation. We have the financial resources. We have partnerships and knowledge transfer capital that gives us the potential of the approach. It is unknown if the endeavor will be met with resistance. The big question is risk? With the significant capital required for this endeavor, an unsure adoption rate, a high new customer acquisition cost and the potential for us to be considered copycats in the market, the risk seems very high.
R(Relevant) Q. Should we do it? Should we move forward with the project? How does this fit with our overall strategy and image? What additional benefits could we see by moving forward?
The strategy of this endeavor aligns with our combined venture capitalist participant’s goals. There is an opportunity to cross market additional products and services offered by the members of the group that could bolster the group overall by moving forward.
The Process of Decision
The biggest part of the process with this assignment is figuring out the who will do what and setting up deadlines that each and every one will be able to meet. Team Member 4 has assigned Team Member 1 to come up with an actual name for the service as well as describe the value the new product will provide for the people of the world as well as the need it will meet. Team Member 4 will also help Team Member 1with both tasks to help reach the requirements of both the assigned tasks. CLC: Phase 1-Proposing, Evaluating, and Selecting an Innovation. Team Member 5 and Team Member 2 will work together to utilize the model NOMMAR to create a detailed plan for the home decor innovation. Team Member 3 and Team Member 4 will create the visuals of charts and graphs to show the professional appeal of the plan and innovation. Research will be done by each person of the group, however Team Member 4 and Team Member 5 will do research on product development, Team Member 2 and Team Member 3 will do their research on management processes and Team Member 1 and Team Member 4 will research methodologies, Team Member 5 and Team Member 3 will research models. Each research done by each person should come with an in-text citation so that we will meet the six secondary sources needed to complete phase two of this group assignment. CLC: Phase 1-Proposing, Evaluating, and Selecting an Innovation.
References:
10 Best Free Online Virtual Home Room Programs. (Gibson, R. 2015.) Retrieved from:
10 Best Free Online Virtual Room Programs and Tools
67 Home Based Business ideas, Start Making Money Now, (Rose, J. 2019). Retrieved from:
The white team has evaluated our individual member’s innovative ideas. We used a variety of different evaluation methods including NOMMAR, SWOT, and SNIFF.
These ideas are presented as follows: Innovator’s name and idea.
Innovation #1
For many of us with vehicle, we may find ourselves without the proper knowledge to properly assess a problem with our vehicles. Most of the time when it comes to vehicle problems, it usually is a servicing issue and/or people just simply do not know how to diagnose a faulty system. A great innovation ideas that there could be the creation of an in-vehicle automatic serving and diagnostic system in every vehicle for everybody who doesn’t seem to have the capability to perform everyday preventative/periodical maintenance on a vehicle. The ideas of the system is that it is a vehicle mounted box with different compartments with all of the necessary fluids to service any system on a vehicle. CLC: Phase 1-Proposing, Evaluating, and Selecting an Innovation. The unit will not only be connected to every system via hoses but, the unit will also house a diagnostic unit that will visually display what the current problems is/are on the vehicle instead of a code from a diagnostic tool you find at a local garage. At the push of a button, the system will service the necessary systems with replenishment fluids in order to meet the vehicle standards. This will ultimately lower the costs of going to a local garage to have a particular system serviced and as well as lower the costs of troubleshooting systems. We have all had it done to us, we go to the dealership and they tell you that one component is bad, then they tell us that another component is bad. We end up spending too much money for maintenance. This innovation can help all of the people that who are not vehicle savvy save time and money. CLC: Phase 1-Proposing, Evaluating, and Selecting an Innovation.
CLC: Phase 1-Proposing, Evaluating, and Selecting an Innovation 3
To evaluate this innovation, there are two methods that the innovation can be evaluated by using NOMMAR and SNIFF. Certain aspects of both would be great to use for example, SNIFF uses Feasibility as a key criteria. NOMMAR uses both “A realistic Approach (we could do it), and “O: Technology options” — two ways of considering feasibility (Creative Realities Inc., 2011). The NOMMAR tactic will be used to assess the idea. NOMMAR – a rational and risk-sensitive approach to choosing opportunities. The process consists of six steps that include: (N): is there a customer need? (Someone will want it), (O): are their technology options? (Someone can meet the need), (M): is there a potential market? (Someone will pay), (M) is there a business model? (Someone could do it), (A): do we have a realistic approach? (We could do it), and (R): is it relevant? (We should do it) (Paap, 2008). The NOMMAR tool is useful for ideas in their early stages of life. To break down the idea, there would be customers that would want to have the product in their vehicles. There is a great customer need for simplicity and low difficulty to operate. Yes, there are technology options. There are several vehicle engineering companies that could quickly create a prototype for the testing of the product. Yes, there is a potential market for the servicing/diagnostic unit, those people include those who do not have the necessary knowledge to perform simple servicing and troubleshooting on their vehicles. Yes, there could be a potential business model but, it would take more planning in order to further evaluate the product. Yes, this product could be the real deal. With the amount of technology in the world today, there is not limit on what we can do to a vehicle in terms of safety and making things simple for people. Finally yes, it is relevant, there is a need for maintenance on a vehicle. The automobile industry will continue to grow and so will the amount of maintenance performed. CLC: Phase 1-Proposing, Evaluating, and Selecting an Innovation.
CLC: Phase 1-Proposing, Evaluating, and Selecting an Innovation 4
Innovation #2
This idea for a fitness monitoring shoe that will allow the wearer to monitor many aspects of their daily walking running or exercising routine. The shoe will be available in either walking or running shoes or cross-trainers. The shoes will have built in micro monitor units that send signals to a smart-phone app. The shoes will have a built in micro battery (much like a watch). Upon the initial purchase, the owner/user will set-up their profile within the application software. We can even set-up an auto e-mail function. This profile set-up will contain the common biological outlines such as height, weight, and age. There will be a variety of settings the wearer can use including heartrate, calories burned, miles walked (or ran). The shoes will also be able to monitor weight, pressure and balance, which can help posture. These shoes will have GPS on them, and can be used to monitor military troop movements as well as manage stress. Some names I have coined for possible trademark/copyright are: “Fitness Shoes,’ “Shoe-fit,” “Exer-shoe,” “Fit-feet,” “Fit-Shoe,” “MDwalkers,’ and “Footness Shoe,’
What the shoe will monitor.
Heartrate Distance walked 3. Distance ran 4. Weight
Calories burned Pressure 7. Rest 8. Center of Gravity
GPS Temperature
I am using the SWOT analysis. “External and internal analysis combined constitute a SWOT analysis.” (Ch. 2 pg. 83)
Strengths:
While there are fitness tracking devices available in the market, there are none that incorporate the shoe. The fitness shoe will be the first of its kind to connect the two. Using a CLC: Phase 1-Proposing, Evaluating, and Selecting an Innovation 5
fitness tracking device in the shoe allows for more tracking capabilities. Fitness shoe can track up to 8, while most other non-foot/shoe oriented tracking devices only track 2 to 3 items.
Weaknesses:
People are very market oriented to new gadgets, would need to test market for success determinations. The shoe itself may not be appealing to the consumer. Would need an appealing design/look.
Opportunities:
Fitness shoe could expand its product base by offering “companion” products with the shoe. Lighted shoelaces that light up at designated times/occurrences. Or special socks could be a few. Also, a new product spin-off could create “shoe-liners” that incorporate the same technology only in a shoe liner that can be fitted a person’s preferred shoe.
Partnering with a leading footwear manufacturer could reduce costs.
Threats:
With a market of fitness tracking devices already out there, Footness shoe could be copied fairly easily and have direct competitors quickly.
Innovation #3
There are a lot of different fitness trackers out on the market. Very few have a sleep a tracker built into them. Most of these fitness trackers are large and bulky including the fitbit that you can wear on your wrist. There are people who may not want to wear something that resembles a watch when they sleep or may not be able to due to medical conditions. My husband has carpal tunnel and needs to wear braces to sleep. He has the fitbit but is unable to wear it comfortably under his braces. The new Slim Fit Z will allow the freedom to wear it on your finger. The Slim Fit Z will be a thin ring one can wear with a small built in chip that will keep track of one’s pulse and monitor ones sleeping habits. The data can easily be synced to one’s phone or to the computer. It will come with a small box like charger that you can drop the ring in
CLC: Phase 1-Proposing, Evaluating, and Selecting an Innovation 6
for easy charging and safekeeping. The consumer will set up an initial profile with their age, weight, height, and their personal preferences.
While there are products out on the market that track sleep consumers want smaller, more convenient ways to rack their health. By creating the Slim Fit Z the consumers need for something better and smaller would be filled. The SNIFF innovation model could be used to determine how much of a need there is for this product. The product would help meet our vision for improving one’s lifestyle. It would meet the need for consumers to have smaller, more convenient ways to track their health. Given the consumers need to want to spend money it would certainly have more than enough opportunity to meet demand. We would have to create a timeline to base production off of but can be completed in a reasonable amount of time. Consumers are always looking for the latest in technology to purchase so this would be a good investment. CLC: Phase 1-Proposing, Evaluating, and Selecting an Innovation.
Innovation #4
With many different sources of transportation available on any given day there are too many that are not eco-friendly. In most places the means of transportation that is able to carry mass amounts of people in local towns and cities are buses. These buses use excessive amounts of fuel to operate. There are many people who do not want to pollute the Earth by using this source or those even stuck behind in their vehicle that have to smell the exhaust from the exhaust pipes. Gas is very expensive, the Earth is dying from pollution, and it is harmful to mine for gas. The Eco-Earth buses will solve this problem by enabling people to choice a means of transportation that is not as damaging to the Earth. It will receive its power from natural sources
CLC: Phase 1-Proposing, Evaluating, and Selecting an Innovation 7
that are recycled. The recycled items will include grass and yard clippings mixed with human waste from the sewage plant. The mulch substance would be shipped to a plant that is also Earth friendly using solar paneled equipment to mix the items together continuously to ferment them into a liquid fuel source. Buses would fuel up with the liquid fuel mixture that would in turn allow them to operate. The product would help meet our vision for improving a person’s impact on the environment. The Eco-Earth buses would meet the need for consumers to have a greener way to travel from one place to another. Consumers using this means of transportation would need to travel and therefore it would meet the demand while solving the problem of pollution. Consumers are looking for ways to do their part with saving the Earth, re-inventing things to ensure they are cleaner and safe for the Earth, and contributing to their carbon footprint. Eco-Earth buses are a step in the right direction.
While each idea we feel is worthy of pursuit, our team has chosen innovation #3 “Slim Fit Z” as our innovation choice. The model that was used to evaluate our chosen innovation idea was SNIFF. The results of our evaluation are as follows:
S
trategy: How well does this fit with our strategy and further our Vision?
White team feels that the Slim Fit Z idea has solid attributes that fit perfectly into our strategy of bringing a new and innovative fitness tracker to market.
N
eed: How well does this address an important consumer/customer need?
Our innovation fits perfectly into an important consumer need. Which is the ability to monitor a person’s health vitals. We will supply the platform for doing that with “Slim fit Z.”
CLC: Phase 1-Proposing, Evaluating, and Selecting an Innovation 8
I
mpact: Opportunity Size. Have we envisioned a sizable enough market with money to spend?
The fitness tracker market is well established and will support new and innovative products.
F
easibility: Can it be done technically within our timeframe? CLC: Phase 1-Proposing, Evaluating, and Selecting an Innovation
While our timeframe can be flexible, one year from conception is adequate. The technology is already available. Slim fit Z takes that technology and applies it in the same application and purpose, but in a new way.
F
eel: Most important — What does your “Educated Gut” say?
From the prospective of intuition and examination of the current fitness trackers on the market, white team feels positive that this innovation can and will be successful.
The Project Plan and schedule will have many challenges, some of which are development of a secure website for registration, manufacture costs, and marketing.
The roles and tasks associated with this project plan are essential to its completion. White team will take our evaluated idea and implement the project plan process. It is through project planning that white team will summarize and assign the roles and tasks as follows.
(Project Manager), will compile team member’s contributions, organize, and schedule completion date. This role will also monitor and control our team’s progress.
(Project Team), All members will research and describe a product development or management process, methodology, or model that could be utilized to implement the innovation.
(Project Team Member), will describe the value the new product or service will provide to customers and describe the need it will meet.
CLC: Phase 1-Proposing, Evaluating, and Selecting an Innovation 9
(Project Team Member), will utilizing the model selected by the team, create the detailed implementation plan for the innovation. This person will also finalize the name of the product and include a description.
(Project Team Member), will make sure the plan accounts for contingencies/risks in the implementation process and includes realistic timeframe and budgeting considerations.
(Project Team Member), will use graphics such as organizational charts, process maps, and/or budget tables as appropriate to increase the readability and professional appeal of the plan.
(Project Team), All members will include in-text citations from at least six secondary sources. Each person on the team must contribute an article from the research that was completed on product development or management processes, methodologies, and/or models.
Finally, we as a team are confident that our innovation “Slim fit Z,” will create a positive impact in a market that is evolving. CLC: Phase 1-Proposing, Evaluating, and Selecting an Innovation.
References
Creative Realities Inc. (2011, April 5).
The Innovationist: Two models for evaluating early innovation
. Retrieved from Creative Realities Inc.: Catalysts for Collaborative Innovation: http://www.creativerealities.com/innovationist-blog/bid/54707/Two-models-for-evaluating-early-innovation
Noe, R. A., Hollenbeck, J. R., Gerhart, B., & Wright, P. M. (2014).
Human resource management: Gaining a competitive advantage
(9th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. ISBN-13: 9780078112768
http://managementstudyguide.com/swot-analysis.htm
Paap, J. (2008).
Evaluating & Choosing Opportunities When ROI is Unpredictable
.
The “SNIFF” test – criteria for early innovation decision making. (n.d.). Retrieved July 17, 2015, from http://www.creativerealities.com/innovationist-blog/bid/54706/The-SNIFF-test-criteria-for-early-innovation-decision-making
Weiss, T. (2013).
Innovation Starts Within: Implementing Innovation in Organizations
. Retrieved from http://www.trendsspotting.com/blog/?p=2298 CLC: Phase 1-Proposing, Evaluating, and Selecting an Innovation
Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests Essay Discussion
Discussion 1: Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests
When seeking to identify a patient’s health condition, advanced practice nurses can use a diverse selection of diagnostic tests and assessment tools; however, different factors affect the validity and reliability of the results produced by these tests or tools. Nurses must be aware of these factors in order to select the most appropriate test or tool and to accurately interpret the results.
In this Discussion, you will consider the validity and reliability of different assessment tools and diagnostic tests. You will explore issues such as sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests Essay Discussion.
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To prepare:
· Review this week’s Learning Resources, and consider the factors that impact the validity and reliability of various assessment tools and diagnostic tests.
· Select
one
of the following assessment tools or diagnostic tests to explore for the purposes of this Discussion:
o Mammogram
o Physical tests for sore throat (inspecting the throat, palpating the head and neck lymph nodes, listening to breath sounds)
o Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test
Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests Essay Discussion
o Dix-Hallpike test
o Body-mass index (BMI) using waist circumference for adults
· Search the Walden Library and credible sources for resources explaining the tool or test you selected. What is its purpose, how is it conducted, and what information does it gather?
· Examine the literature and resources you located for information about the validity and reliability of the test or tool you selected. What issues with sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values are related to the test or tool?
· Are there any controversies or issues related to any of these tests or tools?
· Consider any ethical dilemmas that could arise by using these tests or tools.
Post 1 page paper APA format
a description of how the assessment tool or diagnostic test you selected is used in health care. Based on your research, evaluate the test or the tool’s validity and reliability, and explain any issues with sensitivity, reliability, and predictive values. Include references in appropriate APA formatting.
Readings
· Ball, J. W., Dains, J. E., Flynn, J. A., Solomon, B. S., & Stewart, R. W. (2015).
Seidel’s guide to physical examination
(8th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby.
o Chapter 2, “Cultural Competency” (pp. 21–29) Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests Essay Discussion
This chapter highlights the importance of cultural awareness when conducting health assessments. The authors explore the impact of culture on health beliefs and practices.
o Chapter 3, “Examination Techniques and Equipment” (pp. 30-49)
This chapter explains the physical examination techniques of inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation. This chapter also explores special issues and equipment relevant to the physical exam process.
· Dains, J. E., Baumann, L. C., & Scheibel, P. (2016).
Advanced health assessment and clinical diagnosis in primary care
(5th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby. Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests Essay Discussion
o Chapter 1, “Clinical Reasoning, Differential Diagnosis, Evidence-Based Practice, and Symptom Analysis”
This chapter introduces the diagnostic process, which includes performing an analysis of the symptoms and then formulating and testing a hypothesis. The authors discuss how becoming an expert clinician takes time and practice in developing clinical judgment.
· Sullivan , D. D. (2012).
Guide to clinical documentation
(2nd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: F. A. Davis.
o Chapter 2, “The Comprehensive History and Physical Exam” (pp. 19–36)
o Appendices A–E (pp. 225–236)
· Laine, C. (2012). High-value testing begins with a few simple questions.
Annals of Internal Medicine
,
156
(2), 162–163.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
This article supplies a list of questions physicians should ask themselves before ordering tests. The authors provide general guidelines for maximizing the value received from testing.
· Qaseem, A., Alguire, P., Dallas, P., Feinberg, L. E., Fitzgerald, F. T., Horwitch, C., & … Weinberger, S. (2012). Appropriate use of screening and diagnostic tests to foster high-value, cost-conscious care.
Annals of Internal Medicine
,
156
(2), 147–150.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
This article highlights the increasing cost of health care and stresses the need for high-value and cost-conscious testing. The authors provide a list of 37 situations in which more testing provides no benefit or may be harmful.
· Shaw, S. J., Huebner, C., Armin, J., Orzech, K., & Vivian, J. (2009). The role of culture in health literacy and chronic disease screening and management.
Journal of Immigrant & Minority Health
,
11
(6), 460–467.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests Essay Discussion
This article examines cultural influences on health literacy, cancer screening, and chronic disease outcomes. The authors postulate that cultural beliefs about health and illness affect a patient’s ability to comprehend and follow a health care provider’s instructions.
· Wians, F. H. (2009). Clinical laboratory tests: Which, why, and what do the results mean?
LabMedicine, 40
, 105–113.
Retrieved from
http://labmed.ascpjournals.org/content/40/2/105.full
This article analyzes the laboratory testing cycle and its impact on diagnostic decision making. This article also examines important diagnostic performance characteristics of laboratory tests, methods of calculating performance, and tools used to assess the diagnostic accuracy of a laboratory test.
Optional Resources
· LeBlond, R. F., Brown, D. D., & DeGowin, R. L. (2009). DeGowin’s diagnostic examination (9th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw- Hill Medical.
o Chapter 3, “The Physical Screening Examination”
o Chapter 17, “Principles of Diagnostic Testing”
o Chapter 18, “Common Laboratory Tests” Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests Essay Discussion
Nursing Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template
Professional Development
In this week’s Discussion you were introduced to the concept of an academic portfolio to begin building your own brand. Portfolios have value that go beyond brand-building however. An academic and professional portfolio can also help you to build your own vision and mission and establish your development goals. In this regard, a portfolio becomes yet another tool in your toolbox as you build your success.
In this Assignment you will continue developing your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan by developing the fifth component: a portfolio for your academic and professional efforts.
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To Prepare:
Consider your goals for academic accomplishments while a student of the MSN program. Nursing Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template.
The Assignment:
Using the Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template in which you began to work on in Week 1, and have continued working on through this course, in Part 5, you will create a fully developed and accurate curriculum vitae (CV) based on your current education and professional background. Nursing Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template.
Clearly identify and accurately state in detail your professional development goals.(my focus is to become a pych nurse practioner)
Clearly and accurately state in detail how to accurately and appropriately align one or more of your professional development goals with the University’s emphasis on social change.
Note: Add your work for this Assignment to the original document you began in the Week 1 Assignment, which was built off of the Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template. Nursing Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template.
By Day 7
Submit Part 5.
Remember to include an introduction paragraph which contains a clear and comprehensive purpose statement which delineates all required criteria, and end the assignment Part with a conclusion paragraph.
Note the template can be found in the files with the first order I placed. Nursing Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template
Building a Health History Essay – NURS 6512: Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning
NURS 6512:
Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning
INITIAL POST
Building a Health History
Factors such as ethnicity, gender, environment, and age can influence a patient’s illness or health status. Advanced practices nurses should take these factors into consideration when communicating with their patients to accurately obtain a detailed history. It is essential to use communication techniques tailored for each patient to effectively build a partnership and trusting relationship (Ball, Dains, Flynn, Solomon, & Stewart, 2015). Consider the following patient, an adolescent Hispanic/Latino boy living in a middle-class suburb. Adolescence differs from adulthood and childhood psychosocially and physically (Ball et al., 2015). Experimentation with risky behaviors often occur during adolescence and are dependent on factors such as peer pressure, school performance, self-esteem, parental attachment, extracurricular activities, and social media (Denham, 2014). While adolescent patients are more likely to engage in risky behavior, Denham (2014) found that Hispanic adolescents perceived a higher level of risk associated with binge drinking and therefore were less likely to engage in that particular behavior Building a Health History Essay – NURS 6512: Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning. Considering the environment that the patient lives in is also useful for determining what might influence health or illness. A middle-class suburb suggests that this patient most likely has access to health care, education, and community resources enabling a healthy lifestyle.
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Ball et al. (2015) suggest communication techniques that encourage adolescent patients to discuss their concerns without forcing them to talk. Adolescent patients value confidentiality and a safe environment to openly discuss their concerns (Ball et al., 2015). Use of open ended questions is imperative when communicating with adolescent patients. Being respectful, flexible, and confidential are important aspects of the communication process when interviewing an adolescent patient. Building a Health History Essay – NURS 6512: Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning. One technique suggested by Ball et al. (2015), when communicating with adolescent patients is the use of a pre-visit questionnaire. This allows the patient to identify any concerns they have prior to a verbal conversation and provides a tool the provider to develop appropriate questions for each patient. The questionnaire should address highly charged issues faced by adolescents such as pregnancy, smoking, substance use and abuse, friends, bullying, sexual activity, weight or height concerns, menstruation, and so forth (Ball et al., 2015). Initially engaging the patient in discussion regarding day to day experiences is an effective way to open up the communication process.
Risk Assessment Instrument
Typically, adolescence is not a period of time when illness is often present. Growth and development occurs during adolescence and threats to health are often related to developmental pressures, both physical and social exploration and experimentation, and risky behaviors (Rayner & Crossen, 2014). According to Rayner & Crossen (2014), accidents, injuries, mental health problems, substance use, and unprotected sex are the major causes of mortality and morbidity in adolescent patients. HEEADSSS is a specific screening tools for adolescent issues used to obtain a psychosocial history allowing the advanced practice nurse to identify problems or potential problems (Ball et al., 2015). HEEADSSS addresses the home environment, education/ employment, eating, activities, drugs, sexuality, suicide/depression, and safety from injury and violence (Ball et al., 2015). HEEADSSS is an appropriate risk assessment tool for the adolescent Hispanic/Latino boy living in a middle-class suburb. This patient is most likely not to have significant health issues and therefore should be screened for potential issues that impact adolescent health. Building a Health History Essay – NURS 6512: Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning.
Targeted Questions
Targeted questions for the adolescent male Hispanic/Latino patient include the following:
Where do you live, do you have your own room, and who lives with you?
How are things at home? What are your relationships like?
How is school going, what classes do you like best and least?
How do you feel about your body? What do you like and not like about it?
How much exercise do you get each week and how do you feel about the food you eat?
What do you and your friends do for fun?
Do you participate in sports?
Do any of your friends or family members use tobacco? Alcohol? Drugs?
Do you use tobacco? Alcohol? Drugs?
Have you ever been in a romantic relationship?
Are you sexually active?
Do you ever feel sad or down more than usual? Any trouble sleeping?
Building a Health History Essay – NURS 6512: Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning
References
Ball, J. W., Dains, J. E., Flynn, J. A., Solomon, B. S., & Stewart, R. W. (2015).
Seidel’s guide to physical examination
(8th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby.
Denham, B. E. (2014). Adolescent Perceptions of Alcohol Risk: Variation by Sex, Race, Student Activity Levels and Parental Communication.
Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse
,
13
(4), 385-404 20p. doi:10.1080/15332640.2014.958638
Rayner, G., & Crossen, K. (2014). Can a paediatric department provide health care for vulnerable adolescents?.
The New Zealand Medical Journal
,
127
(1398), 67-76. Building a Health History Essay – NURS 6512: Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning
You have probably seen one or more of the many inspirational posters about decisions. A visual such as a forked road or a street sign is typically pictured, along with a quote designed to inspire.
Decisions are often not so easily inspired. Perhaps you discovered this when choosing a specialty within the MSN program. This decision is a critical part of your plan for success, and you no doubt want to get it right. This is yet another area where your network can help, as well as other sources of information that can help you make an informed choice. NURS 6003, Week 10 discussion, Topic: Discussion: Examining Nursing Specialties.
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To Prepare:
Reflect on your decision to pursue a specialty within the MSN program, including your professional and academic goals as they relate to your program/specialization.
By Day 3 of Week 10
Post an explanation of your choice of a nursing specialty within the program. Describe any difficulties you had (or are having) in making your choice, and the factors that drove/are driving your decision. Identify at least one professional organization affiliated with your chosen specialty and provide details on becoming a member. My speciality is PMHNP ( Psychiatric Mental Health NP). NURS 6003, Week 10 discussion, Topic: Discussion: Examining Nursing Specialties
NURS 6512: Advanced Health Assessment – Diversity and Health Assessment Essay
Initial Post
Diversity and Health Assessment
Cultural competence is the gradually developed capacity of nurses and healthcare providers to provide safe and quality healthcare to clients of different background (Duan-Ying, 2016). Cultural competence involves recognizing one’s own culture, values, and biases, and using effective patient-centered communication skills (Ball et al., 2015). To be culturally competent, the practitioner must be able to respond to the cultural diversity of her or his patients and adapt to the unique needs of patients from the cultural and spiritual background different from her or his own (Ball et al., 2015). For this forum, the cultural health assessment of MR, the 23-year-old Native American male will be discussed. Diversity and Health Assessment Essay.
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Case 3: Culturally Competent Health Assessment of the 23-year-old Native American Male
MR, a 23-year-old Native American presents with complain of anxiety, history of smoking “pot,” alcoholism, a family history of diabetes, hypertension, and alcoholism. He is afraid of the adverse outcomes of his lifestyle choices. He is not currently on prescription medication and denies drug use. He needs some prescriptions to help him with his anxiety.
According to Espey at al. (2013), “American Indians in the United have long endured a legacy of injustice and discrimination with multiple negative manifestations, including alarming health disparities and inadequate healthcare.” Patterns of mortality among Native Americans are strongly influenced by the high incidence of diabetes, smoking prevalence, problem drinking, and social determinants (Epsey et al., 2013). For many young Native Indian Americans like MR, the problem of poor health, smoking, and alcohol abuse can be explained by poverty, unemployment, and lack of education. Diversity and Health Assessment Essay. Sarche & Spicer (2008) state that more than one-quarter of American Indian and Alaskan Native is living in poverty, a rate that is more than double of that of the general population. The discrepancy in education and employment is also found and overall, there are fewer individuals within the American Indian and Alaska community who possess a high school diploma or GED (71% versus 80%) or a bachelor degree (11% versus 24.4%) (Sarche & Spicer, 2008). The social determinants of health including poor-socioeconomic status, poor education, low income as well as unhealthy lifestyle and poor access to healthcare services play a major role in MR’s anxiety, alcohol use, and “pot” smoking. MR health seeking behavior is related to his spiritual beliefs that he might not “get into heaven” if he continues to have an unhealthy lifestyle. This attitude is an excellent initiative towards a healthier lifestyle Diversity and Health Assessment Essay.
Addressing critical issues when interacting with the patient
According to scenario 3, MR has multiple health risks. He has a family history of hypertension, diabetes, and alcoholism. He is a current “pot” smoker, alcohol drinker, and a very anxious young man looking for prescriptions against anxiety. Anxiety is one the withdrawal symptoms and therefore, MR may have drug addiction issue. This patient may need a psychiatric consult for better assessment of his drug addiction status. He is also at risk for cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer related to “pot” smoking, hypertension and diabetes-related to family history and alcoholism. Diversity and Health Assessment Essay.
Targeted Questions
1- How are you doing today? How can I help you with your visit?
2- You stated that you have been smoking “pot.” How long have you been smoking?
3- What do you think is the cause of your anxiety?
4- You stated that drinking alcohol can help cope with your anxiety. How many drinks do you have in one day?
5- Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking? (CAGE questionnaire)
6- Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking? (CAGE questionnaire)
7- Have you felt bad or guilty about drinking? (CAGE questionnaire) (Addiction & Recovery, 2018).
8- Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or get rid of a hangover? (CAGE questionnaire)
9- Do you have insurance coverage? Do you have concerns about how to cover your medical expenses?
10- Before coming to this health center did you seek help from a family member, spiritual leader or a friend? Did they listen to you or provide any support? Reference
Ball, J. W., Dains, J. E., Flynn, J. A., Solomon, B. S., Stewart, R. W. (2015).
Seidel’s Guide to
NURS 6512 Week 10 Assignment 1: Assessing the Genitalia and Rectum
Patients are frequently uncomfortable discussing with health care professional’s issues that involve the genitalia and rectum; however, gathering an adequate history and properly conducting a physical exam are vital. Examining case studies of genital and rectal abnormalities can help prepare advanced practice nurses to accurately assess patients with problems in these areas.
In this assignment, you will consider case studies that describe abnormal findings in patients seen in a clinical setting.
In this assignment, you will analyze a SOAP note case study that describes abnormal findings in patients seen in a clinical setting. You will consider what history should be collected from the patients, as well as which physical exams and diagnostic tests should be conducted. You will also formulate a differential diagnosis with several possible conditions. NURS 6512 Week 10 Assignment 1: Assessing the Genitalia and Rectum.
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GENITALIA ASSESSMENT
Subjective:
CC: “I have bumps on my bottom that I want to have checked out.”
HPI: AB, a 21-year-old WF college student reports to your clinic with external bumps on her genital area. She states the bumps are painless and feel rough. She states she is sexually active and has had more than one partner over the past year. Her initial sexual contact occurred at age 18. She reports no abnormal vaginal discharge. She is unsure how long the bumps have been there but noticed them about a week ago. Her last Pap smear exam was 3 years ago, and no dysplasia was found; the exam results were normal. She reports one sexually transmitted infection (chlamydia) about 2 years ago. She completed the treatment for chlamydia as prescribed. NURS 6512 Week 10 Assignment 1: Assessing the Genitalia and Rectum.
PMH: Asthma
Medications: Symbicort 160/4.5mcg
Allergies: NKDA
FH: No hx of breast or cervical cancer, Father hx HTN, Mother hx HTN, GERD
VS: Temp 98.6; BP 120/86; RR 16; P 92; HT 5’10”; WT 169lbs
Heart: RRR, no murmurs
Lungs: CTA, chest wall symmetrical
Genital: Normal female hair pattern distribution; no masses or swelling. Urethral meatus intact without erythema or discharge. Perineum intact with a healed episiotomy scar present. Vaginal mucosa pink and moist with rugae present, pos for firm, round, small, painless ulcer noted on external labia
NURS 6512 Week 10 Assignment 1: Assessing the Genitalia and Rectum
Assessment:
Chancre
PLAN: This section is not required for the assignments in this course (NURS 6512) but will be required for future courses.
To prepare:
With regard to the SOAP note case study provided:
Review this week’s Learning Resources, and consider the insights they provide about the case study.
Consider what history would be necessary to collect from the patient in the case study.
Consider what physical exams and diagnostic tests would be appropriate to gather more information about the patient’s condition. How would the results be used to make a diagnosis?
Identify
at least five
possible conditions that may be considered in a differential diagnosis for the patient.
NURS 6512 Week 10 Assignment 1: Assessing the Genitalia and Rectum
To complete:
Refer to Chapter 5 of the Sullivan text. Analyze the SOAP note case study. Using evidence based resources, answer the following questions and support your answers using current evidence from the literature.
Analyze the subjective portion of the note. List additional information that should be included in the documentation.
Analyze the objective portion of the note. List additional information that should be included in the documentation.
Is the assessment supported by the subjective and objective information? Why or Why not?
Would diagnostics be appropriate for this case and how would the results be used to make a diagnosis?
Would you reject/accept the current diagnosis? Why or why not? Identify three possible conditions that may be considered as a differential diagnosis for this patient. Explain your reasoning using at least 3 different references from current evidence based literature. NURS 6512 Week 10 Assignment 1: Assessing the Genitalia and Rectum.
NURS 6512 Assignments – Properly identifying the cause and type of a patient’s skin condition involves a process of elimination known as differential diagnosis. Using this process, a health professional can take a given set of physical abnormalities, vital signs, health assessment findings, and patient descriptions of symptoms, and incrementally narrow them down until one diagnosis is determined as the most likely cause.
In this Assignment, you will examine several visual representations of various skin conditions, describe your observations, and use the techniques of differential diagnosis to determine the most likely condition.
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To prepare:
Review the Skin Conditions document provided in this week’s Learning Resources, and select one condition to closely examine for this Assignment.
Consider the abnormal physical characteristics you observe in the graphic you selected. How would you describe the characteristics using clinical terminologies? NURS 6512 Week 4 Assignment 1- Differential Diagnosis for Skin Conditions.
Explore different conditions that could be the cause of the skin abnormalities in the graphics you selected.
Consider which of the conditions is most likely to be the correct diagnosis, and why.
Download the SOAP Template found in this week’s Learning Resources.
To complete:
Choose one skin condition graphic (identify by number in your Chief Complaint) to document your assignment in the SOAP (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, and Plan) note format, rather than the traditional narrative style. Refer to Chapter 2 of the Sullivan text and the Comprehensive SOAP Template in this week’s Learning Resources for guidance. Remember that not all comprehensive SOAP data are included in every patient case. NURS 6512 Week 4 Assignment 1- Differential Diagnosis for Skin Conditions.
Use clinical terminologies to explain the physical characteristics featured in the graphic. Formulate a differential diagnosis of
three to five
possible conditions for the skin graphic that you chose. Determine which is most likely to be the correct diagnosis and explain your reasoning using at least 3 different references from current evidence based literature.
Submission and Grading Information
Comprehensive SOAP Template
This template is for a full history and physical. For this course include only areas that are related to the case.
Note: The mnemonic below is included for your reference and should be removed before the submission of your final note.
L =location
O= onset
C= character
A= associated signs and symptoms
T= timing
E= exacerbating/relieving factors
S= severity
SUBJECTIVE DATA:
Include what the patient tells you, but organize the information.
Chief Complaint (CC):
In just a few words, explain why the patient came to the clinic.
History of Present Illness (HPI):
This is the symptom analysis section of your note. Thorough documentation in this section is essential for patient care, coding, and billing analysis. Paint a picture of what is wrong with the patient. You need to start EVERY HPI with age, race, and gender (e.g., 34-year-old AA male). You must include the
seven attributes of
each principal symptom in paragraph form not a list
.If the CC was “headache”, the LOCATES for the HPI might look like the following example: NURS 6512 Week 4 Assignment 1- Differential Diagnosis for Skin Conditions
Location: head
Onset: 3 days ago
Character: pounding, pressure around the eyes and temples
Associated signs and symptoms: nausea, vomiting, photophobia, phonophobia
Timing: after being on the computer all day at work
Exacerbating/ relieving factors: light bothers eyes, Aleve makes it tolerable but not completely better
Severity: 7/10 pain scale
Medications:
Include over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal supplements. List each one by name with dosage and frequency.
Allergies:
Include specific reactions to medications, foods, insects, and environmental factors. Identify if it is an allergy or intolerance.
Past Medical History (PMH):
Include illnesses (also childhood illnesses), hospitalizations.
Past Surgical History (PSH):
Include dates, indications, and types of operations.
Sexual/Reproductive History: If applicable,
include obstetric history, menstrual history, methods of contraception, sexual function, and risky sexual behaviors.
Personal/Social History:
Include tobacco use, alcohol use, drug use, patient’s interests, ADL’s and IADL’s if applicable, and exercise and eating habits. NURS 6512 Week 4 Assignment 1- Differential Diagnosis for Skin Conditions
Immunization History:
Includelast Tdap, Flu, pneumonia, etc.
Significant Family History:
Include history of parents, grandparents, siblings, and children.
Lifestyle:
Include cultural factors, economic factors, safety, and support systems and sexual preference.
Review of Systems:
From head-to-toe, include each system that covers the Chief Complaint, History of Present Illness, and History (this includes the systems that address any previous diagnoses).Remember that the information you include in this section is based on what the patient tells you so ensure that you include all essentials in your case (refer to Chapter 2 of the Sullivan text).
General:
Include any recent weight changes, weakness, fatigue, or fever, but
do not restate HPI data here
.
HEENT:
Neck:
Breasts:
Respiratory:
Cardiovascular/Peripheral Vascular:
Gastrointestinal:
Genitourinary:
Musculoskeletal:
Psychiatric:
Neurological:
Skin:
Hematologic:
Endocrine:
Allergic/Immunologic:
OBJECTIVE DATA:
From head-to-toe, includewhat you see, hear, and feel when doing your physical exam. You only need to examine the systems that are pertinent to the CC, HPI, and History unless you are doing a total H&P- only in this course.
Do not use “WNL” or “normal.” You must describe what you see.
Physical Exam:
Vital signs:
Include vital signs, ht, wt, and BMI.
General:
Include general state of health, posture, motor activity, and gait. This may also include dress, grooming, hygiene, odors of body or breath, facial expression, manner, level of consciousness, and affect and reactions to people and things. NURS 6512 Week 4 Assignment 1- Differential Diagnosis for Skin Conditions
HEENT:
Neck:
Chest
Lungs:
Heart
Peripheral Vascular: Abdomen:
Genital/Rectal:
Musculoskeletal:
Neurological:
Skin:
Include any labs, x-rays, or other diagnostics that are needed to develop the differential diagnoses.
ASSESSMENT:
List your priority diagnosis (es). For each priority diagnosis, list at least three differential diagnoses, each of which must be supported with evidence and guidelines. For holistic care, you need to include previous diagnoses and indicate whether these are controlled or not controlled. These should also be included in your treatment plan.
PLAN:
This section is not required for the assignments in this course (NURS 6512) but will be required for future courses.
REFLECTION:
This section is not required for the assignments in this course (NURS 6512) but will be required for future courses.
Reflect on your clinical experience, and consider the following questions: What did you learn from this experience? What would you do differently? Do you agree with your preceptor based on the evidence?
NURS 6512 Week 6 Assignment: Assessing the Abdomen
NURS 6512 Week 6 assignment Assesment 1: Assessing the Abdomen
A woman went to the emergency room for severe abdominal cramping. She was diagnosed with diverticulitis; however, as a precaution, the doctor ordered a CAT scan. The CAT scan revealed a growth on the pancreas, which turned out to be pancreatic cancer—the real cause of the cramping.
Because of a high potential for misdiagnosis, determining the precise cause of abdominal pain can be time-consuming and challenging. By analyzing case studies of abnormal abdominal findings, nurses can prepare themselves to better diagnose conditions in the abdomen.
In this assignment, you will analyze a SOAP note case study that describes abnormal findings in patients seen in a clinical setting. You will consider what history should be collected from the patients, as well as which physical exams and diagnostic tests should be conducted. You will also formulate a differential diagnosis with several possible conditions. NURS 6512 Week 4 Assignment 1- Differential Diagnosis for Skin Conditions.
Abdominal Assessment
SUBJECTIVE:
CC: “My stomach hurts, I have diarrhea and nothing seems to help.”
HPI: JR, 47 yo WM, complains of having generalized abdominal pain that started 3 days ago. He has not taken any medications because he did not know what to take. He states the pain is a 5/10 today but has been as much as 9/10 when it first started. He has been able to eat, with some nausea afterwards.
VS: Temp 99.8; BP 160/86; RR 16; P 92; HT 5’10”; WT 248lbs
Heart: RRR, no murmurs
Lungs: CTA, chest wall symmetrical
Skin: Intact without lesions, no urticaria
Abd: soft, hyperctive bowel sounds, pos pain in the LLQ
Diagnostics: None
ASSESSMENT:
Left lower quadrant pain
Gastroenteritis
PLAN: This section is not required for the assignments in this course (NURS 6512) but will be required for future courses.
To prepare:
With regard to the SOAP note case study provided:
Review this week’s Learning Resources, and consider the insights they provide about the case study.
Consider what history would be necessary to collect from the patient in the case study.
Consider what physical exams and diagnostic tests would be appropriate to gather more information about the patient’s condition. How would the results be used to make a diagnosis?
Identify at least five possible conditions that may be considered in a differential diagnosis for the patient.
To complete:
Analyze the subjective portion of the note. List additional information that should be included in the documentation.
Analyze the objective portion of the note. List additional information that should be included in the documentation.
Is the assessment supported by the subjective and objective information? Why or Why not?
What diagnostic tests would be appropriate for this case and how would the results be used to make a diagnosis?
Would you reject/accept the current diagnosis? Why or why not? Identify three possible conditions that may be considered as a differential diagnosis for this patient. Explain your reasoning using at least 3 different references from current evidence based literature. NURS 6512 Week 4 Assignment 1- Differential Diagnosis for Skin Conditions
Communication techniques used to obtain a patient’s health history (found in Seidel’s guide to physical examination, chapter 1, pages 1-7)
Ask the patient how the prefer to be addressed
b. Ask open-ended questions. Ensure to let the patient have time to discuss their concerns.
c. Be courteous- Knock before entering, ensure confidentiality, meet and acknowledge others that may be in the room and level of participation, respect modesty, allow patient to dress after examination before follow-up discussion
d. Ensure comfort- ensure physical comfort, have minimal furniture, maintain privacy, comfortable room temperature, good lighting, and do not overtire the patient NURS 6512 Midterm exam study Guide
e. Establish a connection- Maintain good eye contact (if cultural preferences allow), avoid professional jargon, actively listen, establish the patients history and conduct the physical exam before viewing previous studies and tests to avoid a predetermined path, be flexible, watch nonverbal cues, define concerns completely (where, severity, length, context, soothers/aggravators)
f. Establish confidentiality- Have patient summarize the discussion, allow more discussion if the patient has other concerns by asking “anything else you would like to bring up,” follow-up if there are questions you are unable to answer right away, if you make a mistake own up to it and make every effort to repair it
BUY A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE
g. Ensure appropriate dress and grooming paying attention to clean fingernails, modest clothing, and neat hair.
h. Seek certainty if patients responses to questions are unclear
i. Be direct and firm when discussing sensitive issues and document after the discussion is over
documentation
Medical record should be complete and legible
Each patient encounter should include
Reason for encounter (Chief Complaint)
Relevant history, PE findings, and test results
Assessment, clinical impressions, or diagnosis
Plan of care
Date and legible identity of the observer
Why test was ordered
Consulting physicians
Health risk
Patients progress
SOAP notes are a quick and efficient way to compile information and make decisions based on the information provided by the patient.
The information for SOAP notes can be found in the Sullivan Text
Sullivan, D. D. (2012). Guide to clinical documentation (2nd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: F. A. Davis.
S-Subjective
O-Objective
A-Assessment
P-Plan
S-Chief Compliant (CC), history of present illness (HPI), Pertinent past medical history (PMH), Pertinent family history (FH), Pertinent psychosocial history (SH), any specialized history related to the chief complaint, and Pertinent review of systems (ROS) (Sullivan, pp.91-92).
O- Objective: includes the vital signs, a general assessment of the patient, physical examination findings, results from laboratory or diagnostic tests (Sullivan, p. 93)
A- Assessment: is an analysis and interpretation of the subjective and objective data to provide a diagnosis or a list of differential diagnoses (Sullivan, pp. 96-97).
P- Plan: this area includes diagnostic studies that will be obtained, referrals, therapeutic interventions, educational material, disposition of the patient, next visit (Sullivan, p. 99)
Subjective Data vs Objective Data (#4)
Information collection is a vital piece of any assessment process, regardless of whether it is for risk management, a health diagnosing, or an execution assessment. The emotional and target techniques for information accumulation are two conspicuous ones used to decide the kind of information gathered and the suspicions. While the previous is identified with verbal articulation of thought and the statements to take after, the last is identified with unquestionable and strong actuality.
Subjective Data
Subjective data or abstract information is information that is gathered or acquired through personal interactions, i.e., talking, sharing, clarifying, and so forth.
It is gathered to make an assumption about what the reality may be, what occasion may have happened, what estimations must be done, and so on.
Subjective information can likewise be gathered by methods for judgment, doubt, or rumors
This information fluctuates from one person to another, with each circumstance, consistently.
It can’t be announced as reality, as it advances from such a large number of changed sources with various information sources.
Abstract dialect as a rule starts with, ‘I think’, ‘I require’, ‘I feel’, and so on
Objective Data
By definition, objective data is information that is gathered or acquired by means of established or obvious realities and sources.
It is gathered to affirm your doubts and suppositions – or only to accumulate trustworthy data. It is something that can be felt, contacted, smelled, seen, heard, and tasted.
Objective information will be the same from numerous sources and can be checked and portrayed precisely and affirmed.
This information does not fluctuate from one person to another or with each circumstance.
It tends to be proclaimed as evident information since it stays same and reliable regardless of whether numerous sources are included.
Objective dialect more often than not starts with ‘I said’, ‘I watched’, ‘I gauged’, and so forth.
Subjective Data Vs. Objective Data
Underlying Basis
◼ Its underlying base is personal interpretation. Whatever is perceived is done so, upon communicating with the person about the same and believing what was said by the person/source.
◼ Its underlying base is observing what happened, observing the facts. The facts are straightforward or proved by means of a test/analysis/experiment, and are true and measurable.
Decision-making
◼ It cannot be completely relied on for taking decisions. After all, personal opinions and beliefs vary, and may present an entirely new perspective of the same problem. In such a scenario, a level-headed decision cannot be taken.
◼ It is based on facts; hence, it is usually reliable for decision-making. Whatever decision is taken is done so in the light of what has actually happened, that which can be trusted upon, with experiments and facts.
Common Arenas
◼ Subjective data and analysis can usually be found on personal blogs, forums, Internet chat stations, biographies, editorials, etc.
◼ Objective data is not a discussion. It is found in important scientific papers, encyclopedias, textbooks, reference books, tutorials, etc.
Reporting Information
◼ It cannot be used for reporting any news. As it is collected through discussions and interpretations, it is not totally reliable; therefore, making a definite assumption about an event or subject is incorrect.
◼ It can be used for reporting information. Data collection is done through efficient methods and reliable, set procedures. It is dependable and can be reported.
Examples
◼ When you have a cough and you go to the hospital, the doctor/nurse will ask you questions regarding your cough, like ‘When did it start?’, ‘Is it a dry cough or wet cough?’, ‘Did you eat/drink something cold?’, etc. The information obtained thus, is classified as subjective data.
◼ When you get a cough and go to the doctor, the doctor will examine you thoroughly, check your vital signs, conduct tests, and then, based on the test results, he will ascertain the problem you are suffering from (like bronchitis, pneumonia, etc.). This is objective data.
Ethical Decision Making and Beneficence
Four principles of medical ethics are autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. Beneficence is the principle of acting with the best interest of the other in mind, it is the basic premise that healthcare providers have a duty to be of a benefit to the patient as well as to take positive steps to prevent harm from the patient (Levitt, 2014). Ethics are moral principles that govern a person’s behavior. Ethical decision making is based on a person’s moral compass. Choosing to make the right decision is based on what a person believes is right.
Cultural Awareness (6)
*Cultural reflects the whole of human behavior including ideas and attitudes; ways of relating, speaking manners, products of physical effort, ingenuity and imagination.
*Cultural awareness- being knowledgeable of one’s thoughts, feelings, sensation and how these things affect interactions
Crossing the cultural divide helps, but skepticism is a barrier.
*Cultural humility- recognizing one’s limitation in knowledge and cultural perspective to be open to new perspectives; view each patient individually
*Seeleman et al framework- emphasizes on awareness of social context which specific ethnic groups live Social context in minority group means assessing stressors and support networks, sense of life control and literacy
*Campinha- Bacote’s process of Cultural Competence Model- includes (cultural competence dimensions): Awareness- self- examination and in -depth exploration of your biases, stereotypes, prejudices, and assumption
Knowledge- seeking and obtaining education
Skill- collecting culturally relevant data assessing in a cultural manner
Encounter- patient interactions used to validate, redefine or modify existing beliefs and practices and develop cultural desire or modify existing beliefs and practices and develop cultural desire awareness, skill, and knowledge
Desire- motivation to want engagement in being culturally competent
Socioeconomic, Spiritual and lifestyle factors affecting
diverse populations
Socioeconomic status is the social standing or class of an individual or group. It is often measured as a combination of education, income and occupation.
a. Diverse populations are often financially challenged, have educational limitations and have poor access to health care due to of lack of insurance or funding to pay for medication. The lack of health insurance reduces access to care and often results in poorer health outcomes (Bittoni et al, 2015). Healthcare providers must be sensitive to this factor and be knowledgeable about resources within the community to aid these populations to sustaining adequate healthcare (Ball et al, 2015 pg. 10).
b. Many patients want attention paid to spirituality and faith can be a key factor in the success of a management plan. When assessing spirituality continue to be sensitive and ask open ended questions such as:
i. What are your spiritual or religious beliefs?
ii. How do our religious beliefs affect your health care decisions (i.e. birth control)?
iii. Is there anyone from your faith that you would like to include in your healthcare needs (i.e. pastors, priest, or male family members)?
c. Lifestyle factors are the modifiable habits and ways of life that can greatly influence overall health and well-being. Many people of diverse populations have higher rates of engagement in factors that increase health risks such as smoking, poor diet, sedentariness, and poor sexual habits.
i. Assess dietary habits and make nutritional recommendations as needed.
ii. Encourage smoking and alcohol consumption modification or cessation.
iii. Encourage active lifestyle habits (vigorous exercise at least 30 min per day for cardiovascular health, and decreasing obesity)
iv. Assess the 5 Ps of sexual history
1. Partners, practices, protection, past history, and pregnancy prevention practices (Ball et al, 2015 pg. 12).
FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT
• Functional assessment is an attempt to understand your patient’s ability to achieve the basic ADL’s
• Should be made for all older adults and for any person who may be limited by disease or disability, acute OR chronic.
• Well-taken history and a meticulous physical exam can bring out subtle influences, such as tobacco and alcohol use, sedentary lifestyles, poor food selection, overuse of medications, and potentially emotional distress.
• Physical limitations such as cognitive ability or of the senses may be founded
• Keep in mind patients tend to overstate their abilities and obscure reality
When performing a functional assessment, consider a variety of disabilities: physical, cognitive, psychological, social, and sexual. It is just as important to understand a patient’s social and spiritual support system as it is their physical disabilities.
Disabilities include but are not limited to
Mobility
• Difficulty walking standard distances: ½ mile, 2-3 blocks, across a room, etc.
• Difficulty with stairs- climbing or descending
• Problems with balance
Upper Extremity function
• Difficulty grasping small objects or opening jars
• Difficulty reaching out or up overhead (reaching a shelf)
Housework
• Heavy (scrubbing floors, vacuuming)
• Light (dusting)
• meal preparation
• shopping
• medication use/set up
• money management
Instrumental ADL’s
• bathing, dressing, toileting, moving from bed to chair or from sitting to standing, eating, walking inside the home, etc.
**Any limitations, even is perceived as mild, will affect the patient’s independence and autonomy. This leads to increased reliance on other people and/or assistive devices.
** These limitations indicate the loss of physical reserve and the potential loss of physical function and independence that indicate the onset of frailty
** The patient’s support system and material resources become an integral part of development of reasonable management plans
Growth and Development Ch 6 of text book
Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone stimulates the pituitary to release the growth hormone.
70% of secretion of the growth hormone occurs during sleep
Critical brain growth between conception and 3 yrs old.
P
uberty- Dependent on the GH and androgens (Sex Steroids). They stimulate and increase in the growth Hormone.
Lymphatic tissues reach adult size by 6 yrs old and double by 10-12 yrs old.
Pregnancy Weight
Child- 6-8lbs of wt blood-3-4lbs Maternal Fat/protein 4-6lbs
Physical activity- Low? Moderate? High? How many days per week? How many minutes?
How often do you have a bowel movement? Any use of laxatives? Gas? Diarrhea? Constipation? N/V?
Fluid Intake
Women 2.7 liters or 91 ounces or 11.5 cups of total water (from food and beverage)
Men 3.7 liters of 125 ounces or 11.5 cups of fluids daily.
Energy requirements:
Calculation is BMR X Activity Factor = Total daily energy expenditure
Macronutrients vs Micronutrients – Seidel p 95 & 96
• Macronutrients are carbohydrates, protein and fat and the main sources of calories in the diet.
o Carbohydrates are mostly from plants and in milk and is the main source of energy 4 calories /gram.
o Protiens provide 4 calories /gram and is present in all animal and plant products and is a part of more than half of the organic matter in the body.
o Fat provides 9 calories/gram and present in fatty fish, animal, and some plant products particularly seeds. Main source of linoleic acid.
• Micronutrients – vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes required and stored in very small quantities by the body. Essential for growth, development, and hundreds of metabolic processes.
Food Diary (pg. 101)
• A food diary can help to determine if a patient’s diet is adequate.
• It should be recorded in real time and include at least one weekend day.
• Practitioners should use a food diary to assess the eating habits and if a nutrition consult would be effective.
• The food diary can help the patient and practitioner to see trends and make suggestions in problem areas.
• A good resource to help can be found at
ChooseMyPlate.gov
BMI measurements for normal, overweight, obesity, morbid obesity in adults and children
Tape measure
– use to examine multiple raised lesions.
Transilluminate
– An appropriate examination technique to assess vesicle in the skin. It also a source of light with a narrow beam.
Otoscope
– use to visualize the lower and middle turbines of the nose.
Inspection –
is applied throughout the entire examination and interview process.
Auscultation
– is carried out last except when examining kidney or abdomen . it is also used to listen for sounds produced by the body
Fist
– use for indirect finger percussion involves striking the middle finger of the nondominant hand
Deep abdominal palpation of the kidney
is used to assess tenderness over the kidney.
Ulnar surface of the hand
is used to palpate Mass in the skin
Diaphragm
– pressed lightly against skin to detect high frequency.
Scoliometer- measures the degree of rotation of the spine to screen for scoliosis. Pg. 49 8
th
edition.
Pneumatic attachment of an otoscope
– use to evaluate the cone of light reflex in adult and kids.
Red – free light
-seen through the ophthalmoscope to estimate the size and location of lesion.
Dorsal surface of the hand
– sensitive to vibration
Amsler grid
– use to screen patient at risk for macular degeration
Pederson speculum
– use for women with small vaginal opening
Near-vision (Rosenbaum
) or
Jaeger chart
– Use for screening near vision
Dermatoscope
– is a skin surface microscope used to inspect the surface of pigmented skin lesions
Bell of stethoscope
– detects low frequency sound.
Wood lamp-
black light used to detect fungal infection.
Pan-optic ophthalmoscope
– larger field of view in eye examination.
Palpation-
gathering information through touch.
Monofilament
– help identify a patient with decreased sensation and increased risk for injury
Percussion Tone Expected
Stomach-
Tympanic
Sternum
-flat
Liver
-Dull
Lung with patient with Pneumonia
-Dull
Abdomen with lung tumor
-Dull
Assessment Tools
• Tuning Fork (p.45-46)- creates vibrations to produce frequencies of sound waves that can be expressed as cycles per second (cps) or Hertz (Hz).
o Auditory- Frequency of 500-1000 Hz is utilized. Activated by gently squeezing, or tapping on your knuckles.
o Vibration- use lower frequency between 100-400 Hz. Activated by tapping on heel of hand, and then applying the base to a bony prominence.
• Stethoscope (p. 39-40)- 3 basic types acoustic, magnetic, electronic with acoustic being most utilized.
o Acoustic- closed cylinder, the diaphragm has a frequency of 300 Hz, and is best for high pitched sounds such as the heart. The bell can pick up low frequency with light pressure, and high frequency with heavier pressure. (Stereophonic stethoscope has a dual channel with single tube, each ear piece picks up sound from its side of the bell.
o Magnetic- contains iron disk, and magnet. Contains dial to adjust from high to low frequency.
o Electronic- turns vibrations to sound, can record and store.
o Proper use- Hold between index and middle finger with firm pressure. To avoid unwanted noise, do not touch tubing during auscultation.
• Otoscope (p.45)- used for examining external auditory canal and tympanic membrane. Utilize the largest speculum that can fit comfortably in the patients ear.
• Ophthalmoscope (p.42-43)- Used to visualize interior eye structure. Some models offer a variety of apertures.
o Large Aperture produces large round beam, and is most often used.
o Small Aperture used for small pupils
o Red-free filter- produces green beam, and is used to evaluate the optic disc for pallor and small vessel changes. Can also detect retinal hemorrhages (blood appears as black),
o Visualizing
§ Eye structure is examined by converting or diverging light through different magnification powers.
§ Magnification power is selected by moving the lens selector. Black numbers represent positive, while red represents negative.The use of different lenses can assist in compensation of the patient and examiner with hyperopia and myopia. (No compensation for astigmatism is available)
Skin lesion characteristics
Skin lesion can describe any pathologic skin changes and can be primary or secondary.
Characteristics
• Size
• Shape
• Color
• Texture
• Elevation or depression
• Attachment at base: pedunculated (having a stalk) or sessile (without a stalk)
• Exudates
• Color
• Odor
• Amount
• Consistency
• Configuration
• Annular (rings)
• Grouped
• Linear
• Arciform (bow-shaped)
• Diffuse
• Location and distribution
• Generalized or localized
• Region of the body
• Patterns
• Discrete or confluent
Documenting Skin Lesions using the ABCD Rule
Skin lesions are evaluated based on the ABCDE rule (Melanoma Research Foundation)
A=Asymmetry- i.e. irregular shape
B=Borders- not easy to define the margins of the border
C=Color- presence of multiple colors may be a sign of malignancy
D=Diameter- >6 mm can be a sign of malignancy (size of pencil eraser)
E=Evolution- changes over time
Pay attention to location of lesions- Box 8-6, (Seidel, p. 132)
Pay attention to any exudate- Box 8-5, (Seidel, p. 125)
Table 8-4 Primary Skin lesions (Seidel, p. 126-128)
Table 8-5 Secondary Skin lesions (Seidel, p. 129-131)
Anatomy and Physiology of Skin Layers
Skin functions:
Protect against microbial and foreign substance invasion and physical trauma
Restrict body fluid loss
Regulate temperature
Sensory perception via nerve endings
Produce Vitamin D from precursors in skin
Contribute to blood pressure regulation through constriction
Repair surface wounds
Excrete sweat, urea, and lactic acid
Epidermis
Outermost portion of skin
Two layers
Stratum Corneum : Protects body against harmful environmental substances and restricts water loss
Contains dead squamous cells that form a protective barrier
Cellular stratum: keratin cells are synthesized here
Contains stratum germinativum – keratinocytes matures here- then make way through stratum spinosum, stratum granulosum, into stratum corneum
Stratum germinativum contains melanocytes which synthesize melanin and give skin color
Stratum lucidum is only in thicker skin of palms and soles
Avascular- depends on dermis for nutrition
Dermis
Richly vascular connective tissue layer that supports and separates the epidermis from the cutaneous adipose tissue
Papillae from this layer penetrate the epidermis to provide nourishment
Elastin collagen and reticulum fibers are found here and provide resilience, strength, and stability
Sensory nerve fibers are located here to provide sensation of pain, touch, and temperature
Additionally, found are autonomic motor nerves that innervate blood vessels, glands, and the arrectores pullorum muscles
Hypodermis:
A subcutaneous layer that is loose connective tissue filled with fatty cells
This adipose layer generates heat and provides insulation, shock absorption, and a reserve of calories
Appendages:
Eccrine sweat glands
Open onto the surface of the skin and regulate body temperature through water secretion
Everywhere except lip, eardrum, nail beds, inner surface of prepuce, and glans penis
Apocrine sweat glands
Only found in the axillae, nipples, areolae, anogenital areas, eyelids, and external ears
Emotional stimuli= these glands secrete a white fluid containing protein, carbs, and other substances; odorless; body odor is due to bacterial decomposition of apocrine glands
Sebaceous glands
Secrete sebum that keeps the skin and hair from drying out
Secretory activity varies according to hormonal levels throughout the life span
Hair
Consists of root, shaft, and follicle
Papilla at the base of the follicle supplies nourishment for growth
Melanocytes in shaft provide color
Vellus hair: short, fine, soft, and nonpigmented
Terminal hair: coarser, longer, thicker, and pigmented
Three stages of hair
Anagen (growth)
Catagen (atrophy)
Telogen (Rest)
Nails
Epidermal cells converted to hard plates of keratin
Vascular nail bed gives nail its pink color
Stratum corneum layer of skin covering the nail root is the cuticle or eponychium, which pushes up and over the lower part of the nail body
Paronychium : soft tissue surrounding the nail border
ALL ABOVE INFORMATION FOUND IN SEIDEL’S GUIDE TO PHYSICAL EXAMINATION: EIGTH EDITION PAGES 114-116
Abnormal nail findings in older adults
Nail changes associated with aging are common in the elderly and include characteristic modifications of color, contour, growth, surface, thickness, and histology. The calcium content of the aging nail increases and iron decreases.
keratinocytes of the nail plate are increased in size with an increased number of ‘pertinax bodies’ (remnants of keratinocyte nuclei)
• nail bed dermis also shows thickening of the blood vessels and elastic tissue, especially beneath the pink part of the nail.
• Nail growth decreases by approximately 0.5% per year between 20 and 100 years of age.
• Prominent longitudinal ridges were the most common change
• Brittleness of the nail is a common condition related to aging.
• Onychauxis which is an age-associated thickening of the nail plate
• changes in nail contour, increased transverse curvature
White banding (Terry Nails) is a nail disorder that is specifically linked to age – p. 158.
Pathophysiology: associated with cirrhosis, CHF, adult-onset diabetes mellitus, and age.
Appearance: transverse white bands cover the nail except for narrow zone at the distal tip
Onychomycosis is a fungal infection that causes the nail plate to crumble – p. 156.
Pathophysiology: this is not specifically related to older adults but is associated with loss of manual dexterity (interfere with exercise or walking).
Appearance: distal nail plate turns yellow or white as hyperkeratotic debris accumulates, causing the nail to separate from the nail bed
PSORIATIC SKIN LESIONS
Psoriasis is a common skin condition that speeds up the life cycle of skin cells. It causes cells to build up rapidly on the surface of the skin. The extra skin cells form scales and red patches that are itchy and sometimes painful.
Psoriasis is a chronic disease that often comes and goes. The main goal of treatment is to stop the skin cells from growing so quickly.
There is no cure for psoriasis, but you can manage symptoms. Lifestyle measures, such as moisturizing, quitting smoking and managing stress, may help
here are several types of psoriasis. These include:
• Plaque psoriasis. The most common form, plaque psoriasis causes dry, raised, red skin lesions (plaques) covered with silvery scales. The plaques might be itchy or painful and there may be few or many. They can occur anywhere on your body, including your genitals and the soft tissue inside your mouth.
• Nail psoriasis. Psoriasis can affect fingernails and toenails, causing pitting, abnormal nail growth and discoloration. Psoriatic nails might loosen and separate from the nail bed (onycholysis). Severe cases may cause the nail to crumble.
• Guttate psoriasis. This type primarily affects young adults and children. It’s usually triggered by a bacterial infection such as strep throat. It’s marked by small, water-drop-shaped, scaling lesions on your trunk, arms, legs and scalp.
The lesions are covered by a fine scale and aren’t as thick as typical plaques are. You may have a single outbreak that goes away on its own, or you may have repeated episodes.
• Inverse psoriasis. This mainly affects the skin in the armpits, in the groin, under the breasts and around the genitals. Inverse psoriasis causes smooth patches of red, inflamed skin that worsen with friction and sweating. Fungal infections may trigger this type of psoriasis.
• Pustular psoriasis. This uncommon form of psoriasis can occur in widespread patches (generalized pustular psoriasis) or in smaller areas on your hands, feet or fingertips.
It generally develops quickly, with pus-filled blisters appearing just hours after your skin becomes red and tender. The blisters may come and go frequently. Generalized pustular psoriasis can also cause fever, chills, severe itching and diarrhea.
• Erythrodermic psoriasis. The least common type of psoriasis, erythrodermic psoriasis can cover your entire body with a red, peeling rash that can itch or burn intensely.
• Psoriatic arthritis. In addition to inflamed, scaly skin, psoriatic arthritis causes swollen, painful joints that are typical of arthritis. Sometimes the joint symptoms are the first or only manifestation of psoriasis or at times only nail changes are seen. Symptoms range from mild to severe, and psoriatic arthritis can affect any joint. Although the disease usually isn’t as crippling as other forms of arthritis, it can cause stiffness and progressive joint damage that in the most serious cases may lead to permanent deformity.
Causes
The cause of psoriasis isn’t fully understood, but it’s thought to be related to an immune system problem with T cells and other white blood cells, called neutrophils, in your body.
T cells normally travel through the body to defend against foreign substances, such as viruses or bacteria.
But if you have psoriasis, the T cells attack healthy skin cells by mistake, as if to heal a wound or to fight an infection.
Overactive T cells also trigger increased production of healthy skin cells, more T cells and other white blood cells, especially neutrophils. These travel into the skin causing redness and sometimes pus in pustular lesions. Dilated blood vessels in psoriasis-affected areas create warmth and redness in the skin lesions.
The process becomes an ongoing cycle in which new skin cells move to the outermost layer of skin too quickly — in days rather than weeks. Skin cells build up in thick, scaly patches on the skin’s surface, continuing until treatment stops the cycle.
Just what causes T cells to malfunction in people with psoriasis isn’t entirely clear. Researchers believe both genetics and environmental factors play a role.
Psoriasis triggers
Psoriasis typically starts or worsens because of a trigger that you may be able to identify and avoid. Factors that may trigger psoriasis include:
• Infections, such as strep throat or skin infections
• Injury to the skin, such as a cut or scrape, a bug bite, or a severe sunburn
• Stress
• Smoking
• Heavy alcohol consumption
• Vitamin D deficiency
• Certain medications — including lithium, which is prescribed for bipolar disorder, high blood pressure medications such as beta blockers, antimalarial drugs, and iodides
Risk factors
Anyone can develop psoriasis, but these factors can increase your risk of developing the disease:
• Family history. This is one of the most significant risk factors. Having one parent with psoriasis increases your risk of getting the disease, and having two parents with psoriasis increases your risk even more.
• Viral and bacterial infections. People with HIV are more likely to develop psoriasis than people with healthy immune systems are. Children and young adults with recurring infections, particularly strep throat, also may be at increased risk.
• Stress. Because stress can impact your immune system, high stress levels may increase your risk of psoriasis.
• Obesity. Excess weight increases the risk of psoriasis. Lesions (plaques) associated with all types of psoriasis often develop in skin creases and folds.
• Smoking. Smoking tobacco not only increases your risk of psoriasis but also may increase the severity of the disease. Smoking may also play a role in the initial development of the disease.
Complications
If you have psoriasis, you’re at greater risk of developing certain diseases. These include:
• Psoriatic arthritis. This complication of psoriasis can cause joint damage and a loss of function in some joints, which can be debilitating.
• Eye conditions. Certain eye disorders — such as conjunctivitis, blepharitis and uveitis — are more common in people with psoriasis.
• Obesity. People with psoriasis, especially those with more severe disease, are more likely to be obese. It’s not clear how these diseases are linked, however. The inflammation linked to obesity may play a role in the development of psoriasis. Or it may be that people with psoriasis are more likely to gain weight, possibly because they’re less active because of their psoriasis.
• Type 2 diabetes. The risk of type 2 diabetes rises in people with psoriasis. The more severe the psoriasis, the greater the likelihood of type 2 diabetes.
• High blood pressure. The odds of having high blood pressure are higher for people with psoriasis.
• Cardiovascular disease. For people with psoriasis, the risk of cardiovascular disease is twice as high as it is for those without the disease. Psoriasis and some treatments also increase the risk of irregular heartbeat, stroke, high cholesterol and atherosclerosis.
• Metabolic syndrome. This cluster of conditions — including high blood pressure, elevated insulin levels and abnormal cholesterol levels — increases your risk of heart disease.
• Other autoimmune diseases. Celiac disease, sclerosis and the inflammatory bowel disease called Crohn’s disease are more likely to strike people with psoriasis.
• Parkinson’s disease. This chronic neurological condition is more likely to occur in people with psoriasis.
• Kidney disease. Moderate to severe psoriasis has been linked to a higher risk of kidney disease.
• Emotional problems. Psoriasis can also affect your quality of life. Psoriasis is associated with low self-esteem and depression. You may also withdraw socially.
Vesicular Skin Characteristics
o Vesicles are small, clear, fluid-filled blisters. (page 127)
o A vesicle is elevated, superficial and less than 1cm. The vesicle does not go into the dermis. (page 127)
o Examples of a vesicle are varicella (chickenpox) and herpes zoster (shingles) viruses. (page 127)
o A bulla is a vesicle (blister) that is greater than 1cm. (page 128).
Normal vs abnormal hair distribution during aging
Characteristics of Hair Distribution
Quantity and distribution of hair vary according to individual genetic makeup
Hair is commonly on the scalp, lower face, neck, nares, ears, chest, axillae, back and shoulders, arms, legs, toes, pubic area, and around the nipples
Hair loss is generalized or localized
Hair loss on toes may indicate poor circulation or nutritional deficit
Diffuse hair loss usually occurs without inflammation and scarring
Note if the hair shafts are broken off or completely absent
Scarring is helpful in diagnosis
During adulthood men who are genetically predisposed often display gradual symmetric hair loss on the scalp as a response to androgens
Asymmetric hair loss may indicate pathologic condition
Women in their 20s and 30s can also develop adrenal androgenic female pattern alopecia (hair loss), gradual hair loss from the central scalp
Fine vellus hair covers the body
Coarse terminal hair occurs on the scalp, pubic, axillary area, arms, legs (to some extent), and a man’s beard
Male pubic hair configuration is upright triangle with the hair extending midline to umbilicus
Female pubic hair configuration is an inverted triangle; hair may extend midline to the umbilicus
Assess for hirsutism in women- the growth of terminal hair in a male distribution pattern on the face, body, and pubic area. Hirsutism, alone or with other signs of virilization, may indicate an endocrine disorder
Ball et al., 2015, p. 133-134
Hair loss on lateral eyebrows and scalp may indicate a thyroid dysfunction
Dains et al., 2016, p. 251
Evaluate hair loss that is diffuse or localized and compare areas such as temporal and crown region to the occiput
Hair pull test will reveal any increased hairs shed with a gentle pull
Dains et al., 2016, p. 335
Hair disorders
Alopecia Areata
o Sudden, rapid, patchy loss of hair, usually from face or scalp
o Unknown cause may be triggered by genetic-environmental interactions
o Any hair may be affected
o Regrowth begins in 1-3 months
o Subjective data: sudden, rapid, patchy hair loss, may report nail pitting, may have family history
o Objective data: hair loss sharply defined round areas, hair shaft is poorly formed and break off at skin surface
Ball et al., 2015, p. 154
Scarring Alopecia
o Replacement of hair follicles with scar tissue
o Skin disorders of the scalp or follicles resulting in scarring and destruction of hair follicles and permanent hair loss
o Subjective data: may have other concurrent skin or systemic disorders
o Objective data: patchy hair loss, scalp may be inflamed, hair follicles may be pustular or plugged
Ball et al., 2015, p. 155
Traction Alopecia
o Hair loss that is the result of prolonged tightly pulled hairstyles
o Prolonged tension of the hair from traction breaks the hair shaft
o Follicle is not damaged, loss is reversible
o Subjective data: history of wearing certain hairstyles: braids, hair rollers, or hot combs
o Objective data: patchy hair loss that corresponds directly to the area of stress
o Scalp may or may not be inflamed
Ball et al., 2015, p. 155
Hirsutism
o Caused by high androgen levels (from ovaries or adrenal glands) or by hair follicles that are more sensitive to normal androgen levels, free testosterone causes hair growth
o Causes: genetic, physiologic, endocrine, drug-related, and systemic disorders
o Subjective data: excessive hair growth on face or body; onset, severity, and rate depend on underlying cause
o Objective data: thick dark terminal hairs in androgen-sensitive sites: face, chest, areola, external genitalia, upper and lower back, buttocks, inner thigh, and linea able; may or may not be accompanied by other signs of virilization
Ball et al., 2015, p.155
Hair-Pulling (Trichotillomania)
o Loss of scalp hair caused by physical manipulation
o Hair is twisted around the finger and pulled or rubbed until it breaks off; the act of manipulation is usually an unconscious habit
o Subjective data: may report tension, anxiety, emotional stressors
o Objective data: affected area has an irregular border, and hair density is greatly reduced, but the site is not bald
Ball et al., 2015, p. 163
Tinea capitits- the triad of hair loss, scaling, and lymphadenopathy in children
Crainial nerves associated with the HEENT system:
God gave you 1 nose (Olfactory) and 2 eyes (Optic). Nerves 3,4, and 6 make your eyes do tricks (3 Occularmotar, 4 Trochlear, and 6 Abducens). FIVE rhymes with TRI (5 Trigeminal). 7 is like an “F” backwards (F for Facial). 8 looks like earrings (8 Vestibulocochlear (Auditory)). “9 and10, under my chin” (IX Glossopharyngeal (Swallowing, saliva, taste), X Vagus (Control of PNS e.g. smooth muscles of GI tract) (just check gag reflex), 12 for swallowing (XII Hypoglossal (Tongue muscles – speech & swallowing)), and the number 11 looks like the neck (XI Accessory (Moving head & shoulders).
In the pic of the face attached, each part of the number 5 the crosses the face (3 lines) corresponds with the first, second, and third segments of the Trigeminal nerve (Forhead, maxila and mandible).
Here is a quick, meat and potatoes crainial nerve assessment video that is to point:
As the video suggests, the 1st crainial nerve is not tested during routine exam, but you could blindfold the patient and hold coffee, alchohol, etc under the nose and test like you would a taste for sugar and salt.
Now, to remember the order, a “clean” acronym for remembering the crainial nerve order would be,
“Oh Oh Oh To Touch And Feel Very Good Velvet, Such Heaven.” Take the first letter of this acronym for the order of the nerves.
There is another acronym that helps you determine whether the nerve is sensory, motor, or both. This acronym is, “Some Say Marry Money But My Brother Says Big Brains Matter Most.”
Normal Assessment Findings of an Adolescent’s (10-19years) Nose and Throat
*All information retrieved from Seidel’s Guide to Physical Examination 8
th
Edition-Chapter 12, pages 242-243 & 248-249*
Nose
External
Smooth skin, no swelling, & conforms to the color of the face
Columella should be midline and does not exceed diameter of a naris
Nares-oval in shape and symmetrically positioned
Nasal structures should feel firm and stable-no crepitus, tenderness or masses should be present
Nasal Cavity
Nasal mucosa-should glisten and is deep pink in color
Clear discharge is normal on the septum
Hairs may be visible on the vestibula
Turbinates should be firm and same color as surrounding area
Septum-close to midline and fairly straight
Anterior septum is thicker than posterior septum
No perforations, bleeding or crusting
Throat
Oropharynx
Tonsils-same pink color as pharynx & should fit within the tonsil pillars
Crypts may be present in tonsils-cellular debris and food collects here
Posterior wall of the pharynx should be smooth, glistening and pink
Some small irregular spots of lymphatic tissue and small blood vessels should be seen
FONTANELS Seidel’s guide (8
th
edition) says anterior fontanel closes by
12-15 months
(page 186). In infant the cranial bones are separated by
sagittal, coronal, and lambdoid
suture. Please note that, some books refer that closure of the skull fontanel should occur by 24 months for sure or anterior fontanel can remain palpable till 24 months. So, I hope we don’t get a very complicated question about it in the test. NURS 6512 Midterm exam study Guide
Ossification of skull sutures is complete about 6 years old.
Posterior fontanel closes by 2 months.
Anterior fontanel by 12-15 months.
Abnormality
Torticollis (Wry neck): shortening or excessive contraction of sternocleidomastoid muscle (p. 200 of Seidel’s). Happens due to birth trauma.
Caput Succedaneum
: (Seidel’s p. 195)
subcutaneous edema over presenting part of head at delivery.
Most common
form of
birth trauma
and usually occurs over occiput and crosses suture lines. Poorly defined margins. Edema goes away in a few days.
The most common form of birth trauma of the scalp is
A. caput succedaneum.
B. cephalhematoma.
C. cranial bossing.
D. torticollis.
E. dilated scalp veins.
Correct ans C
Cephalhematoma
: subperiosteal collection of blood and is bound by suture lines.
Most common in parietal region and may not be obvious at birth. Firm and well-defined edges. Does not cross suture lines. NURS 6512 Midterm exam study Guide.
Question: Which of the following is true regarding a cephalohematoma?
a. It is bound by suture lines.
b. The affected part feels soft.
c. It is obvious at birth.
d. The margins are poorly defined.
Correct answer: A
Bossing
: bulging of skull. Bossing is associated with prematurity, thalassemia, Paget disease, rickets.
Plagiocephaly
: flattened spot on back or one side of head. Can result from premature fusion of sutures.
Examination findings of a patient with Hypothyroid and Hyperthyroid
Hypothyroidism-
Seidel’s guide to physical Examination eighth edition p. 190, 201- Table 10-1
Overactive thyroid
Pathophysiology-
• Excess thyroid hormone causes increase in metabolic rate
• Associated with increase in total body heat production and increased heart contractility, heart rate and vasodilation
• Multinodular goiter (Plummer disease
Subjective Data
• Weight loss
• Tachycardia
• Diarrhea
• Heat Sensitivity
Objective Data
• Normal size thyroid. Goiter or nodules
• Fine hair
• Bridle nails
• Proptosis
• Tachycardia
Hypothyroidism-
Underactive Thyroid
Pathophysiology
• Primary: Thyroid gland produces insufficient amounts of thyroid hormone.
• Secondary: Insufficient thyroid hormone secretion due to inadequate secretion of either thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) from the pituitary gland or thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) from the hypothalamus
• More common than hyperthyroidism
Subjective Data
• Weight gain
• Constipation
• Fatigue
• Cold intolerance
Objective Data
• Normal size thyroid, goiter or nodules
NURS 6512 Midterm exam study Guide
Techniques for Examining the HEENT
Chapters 10, 11, 12 Seidel’s Guide to Physical Examination
HEAD 189:
Observe position. Should be upright and still, no tilts or tremor
Skull/Scalp 189-192
: Front to back
Symmetry by parting the hair -assess size, shape and for lesions during the above
Palpate for indents/depressions (should be smooth/fontanels undetectable p 6mo)
Palpate over sinuses (no tenderness) NURS 6512 Midterm exam study Guide
Scalp should move freely over skull
Special attention at hair line, crown and behind the ears
Palpate hair, noting texture, color, distribution (smooth, even, no split ends)
IF
appropriate- auscultate & palpate temp arteries for thickness/hardness/tenderness
Facial Features 189:
Includes eyelids/brows, palpebral fissures (under eye) nasolabial folds, mouth
Check Symmetry at rest (slight difference common w movement/expression)
Note unusual features (edema, bruising, bulging eyes, abn hair growth)
Tics (spasmodic movement)
Do features appear syndrome like? (characteristic facies)
Variation in skin color
Salivary Glands 192:
inspect/palpate for asymmetry, size, flexibility, firmness
Transillumination of Infant skull 196
: to check for fluid/decreased brain tissue
Palpate lower trachea w thumbs at each side to eval space between trachea and sternocleidomastoid muscles on each side (uneven indicates displacement)
Palpate movement with swallowing (smooth and nontender) movement of cartilages should be felt under finger
ROM 193/516/578: Flex, extend, rotation without pain, resistance or dizziness
Palpation for tenderness in the paravertebral musculature and spinous processes (upper/lower back) coupled with ROM of neck for eval of stiff neck
Take note of any mass, webbing, skin folds (excessive posterior cervical skin) NURS 6512 Midterm exam study Guide
Thyroid 194:
inspection, palpation, and auscultation for bruit if enlarged
Gently extend neck, use water for swallowing, gentle touch
Can be done from front or behind (learn and be consistent with your method)
Palpation for size, shape, configuration, pain, nodules
Lymph nodes 174-175:
Palpation (so much info pictures, I wasn’t sure how to break it down)
Eyes 208-209:
Near vision- Rosenbaum pocket vision screen (14 inch from face)
Distant Vision- Snellen eye chart/Pin hole (no glasses first)
Peripheral Vision- Confrontation test (bringing fingers in from the side)
Eyebrows 210:
Inspect texture, size, extension to temporal canthus
Eyelids 210-211:
Open and closes completely?
Eyelash position (should curve away)
Ptosis (drooping eyelid)
Fasciculation (twitching/tremor)
Flakey, redness, swelling?
Palpate for nodules -closed lids w gentle push into orbit (should be no discomfort)
Pull lower lid down to assess for color, discharge, lacrimal gland punctum, pterygium
Orbits 210:
Inspect for edema, puffiness, excess tissue
External Eye 212-214:
Corneal clarity using a pen light
Corneal sensitivity using a cotton wisp (slight touch across the cornea)
Corneal arcus: circle around the cornea
Color of irises should be the same
Pupils should be round, regular, equal size, and reactive to light
Pupillary defect with swing flashlight test (checks optic nerve)
Nystagmus- have patient follow your finger to check for involuntary movement
Muscle balance & movement 214-216:
Corneal light reflex 215: light source (used to check strabismus)
Cover-uncover test 215
Six cardinal fields of gaze: assess extraocular muscles and cranial nerves
Nasal- straight, up, and down
Temporal- straight, up, and down
Opthalmic examination 216-218:
Give rest periods between tests using bright light
Dim the lights
Ophthalmoscope in the hand with corresponding eye (right hand-right eye)
Instill dilating medications as necessary
Ears 239:
Inspect for size, shape, symmetry, landmarks, color, abnormalities.
Position- pull ear up and back
Palpate auricles and mastoid area for pain, swelling or nodules
Auditory canal 240: otoscope 1-1.5 cm depth- color, cerumen, abnormalities
Tympanic membrane 240-241: otoscope- movement (w positive pressure), color, landmarks, abnormalities
Hearing 240-242:
Response to questions during history, whispered voice, and tuning forks (top of head and mastoid area)
Nose and Sinuses 242-244:
Inspect external nose NURS 6512 Midterm exam study Guide
Palpate bridge and soft tissues of nose
Nares -nasal speculum and light source
Palpate maxillary and frontal sinuses for swelling or pain
Transillumination 244: of sinuses if tender or infection is present
Mouth 245-249:
Inspect lips, teeth, and oral cavity for abnormalities
Palpate and inspect gingivae and buccal mucosa for color, lesions, and pain
Inspect and palpate the tongue
Elicit a gag reflex
Inspect tonsils and pharynx
#30 Examination findings for a patient with sinus symptoms
Seidel page 231, 243-244
Inspect the external nose, noting the shape, size, color, and nares.
Palpate the bridge and soft tissues of the nose, noting tenderness, displacement, and masses.
Evaluate the patency of the nares
Inspect the nasal mucosa and nasal septum for the following: color, alignment, discharge, selling of turbinates, or perforation.
Inspect the frontal and maxillary sinus area for swelling
Palpate the frontal and maxillary sinuses for any tenderness, pain, or swelling
NURS 6512 Midterm exam study Guide
Signs and Symptoms
Sinus infections often follow a cold and cause pain and pressure in your head and face. Palpating over the infected sinus will cause tenderness.
Sinusitis can be either acute or chronic. With chronic sinusitis, the infection or inflammation does not completely go away for 12 weeks or more.
Sinusitis can be caused by three things: viruses, bacteria, fungi. The same viruses that cause the common cold cause most cases of sinusitis.
-Viral Sinusitis: When the lining of the sinus cavities gets inflamed from a viral infection like a cold, it swells. The swelling can block the normal drainage of fluid from the sinuses into the nose and throat.
-If the fluid cannot drain and builds up over time, bacteria or fungi (plural of fungus) may start to grow in it. These bacterial or fungal infections can cause more swelling and pain.
-Nasal allergies or other problems that block the nasal passages and allow fluid to build up in the sinuses can also lead to sinusitis.
Other common symptoms of sinusitis may include: headache, bad breath, cough that produces mucus, fever, pain in your teeth and a reduced sense of taste or smell.
Viral infections normally resolve without antibiotics within 14 days. Bacterial infections may require antibiotics. OTC medications can be obtained to relieve discomforts and sinus symptoms. Fungal infections (less common) require anti-fungals, these infections can require additional interventions (surigal).
Transillumination of the sinuses:
A transilluminator or small, bright light can be used.
Darken the room.
Maxillary sinuses: place the light source lateral to the nose, just beneath the medial aspect of the eye. Look through the patients open mouth for immunination of the hard palate.
Frontal sinuses: place the light source against the medial aspect of each supraorbital rim. Look for a dim red glow just above the eyebrow.
The sinuses may differ in degree of illumination
-Opaque: no transillumination
-Dull: reduced transillumination
-Glow (expected): transillumination.
-An opaque response may indicate the sinus is filled with secretions or never developed.
-Asymmetry of transillumination is a significant finding NURS 6512 Midterm exam study Guide.
#31 appropriate tuning fork frequencies to approximate vocal frequencies
Seidel page 241-242
Weber test: helps assess unilateral hearing loss. Place the base of the vibrating tuning fork on the midline of the patients head. Ask the patient if the sound is heard equally in both ears or is better in one ear. If the sounds is heard better in one ear, have the patient identify which ear.
-To test reliability have the patient occlude one ear. Repeat the test, the sound should be heard better in the occluded ear.
Rinne test: helps to distinguish if the patient hears better by air or bone conduction. Place the base of the vibrating tuning fork against the patients mastoid bone and ask the patient to tell you when the sound is no longer heard. Time this interval of bone conduction, noting the number of seconds. Quickly position the still vibrating tines 1-2 cm from the ear, and again ask the patient to tell you when the sound in no longer heard. Time the interval of sound conduction as well. Compare the seconds recorded for both bone and air conduction.
-Air conduction should be heard twice as long as bone conduction. (see figure 12-16 on page 242 in Seidel)
*Placing the base of a vibrating tuning fork on the midline vertex of the patient’s head is a test for? Lateralization of sound
*To approximate vocal frequencies, which tuning fork should be used to assess hearing?
Ans. 500 to 1000 Hz
Examining the oral mucosa-
*Careful examination of the oral cavity may reveal findings indicative of an underlying systemic condition, and allow for early diagnosis and treatment.
**A good light source is fundamental for a good intraoral examination. Any intraoral lesion should be described with respect to size, extent, thickness, color, texture, consistency, and tenderness. Major salivary gland should be palpated and milked to assess salivary gland duct orifices patency and salivary flow and to evaluate the quality of saliva (e.g., frothy versus serous). In a healthy individual unstimulated whole salivary flow rate ranges 0.3–0.4 mL/min, while chewing-stimulated whole salivary flow is 1.5–2.0 mL/min.
*Teeth should be examined to evaluate possible dental decays, fractures, mobility, defects in restorations, gingival recession and bone loss with inspection, palpation and percussion NURS 6512 Midterm exam study Guide.
**Examination should include evaluation for mucosal changes, periodontal inflammation and bleeding, and general condition of the teeth. Oral findings of anemia may include mucosal pallor, atrophic glossitis, and candidiasis. Oral ulceration may be found in patients with lupus erythematosus, pemphigus vulgaris, or Crohn disease. Additional oral manifestations of lupus erythematosus may include honeycomb plaques (silvery white, scarred plaques); raised keratotic plaques (verrucous lupus erythematosus); and nonspecific erythema, purpura, petechiae, and cheilitis. Additional oral findings in patients with Crohn disease may include diffuse mucosal swelling, cobblestone mucosa, and localized mucogingivitis. Diffuse melanin pigmentation may be an early manifestation of Addison disease. Severe periodontal inflammation or bleeding should prompt investigation of conditions such as diabetes mellitus, human immunodeficiency virus infection, thrombocytopenia, and leukemia. In patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease, bulimia, or anorexia, exposure of tooth enamel to acidic gastric contents may cause irreversible dental erosion. Severe erosion may require dental restorative treatment. In patients with pemphigus vulgaris, thrombocytopenia, or Crohn disease, oral changes may be the first sign of disease. NURS 6512 Midterm exam study Guide.
*****************
Ask patient to open mouth wide (use a pen light or otoscope if needed)
Inspect the surface of the tongue and the hard palate
Use a tongue depressor to allow movement of the oral cavity contents
Inspect the uvula and soft palate
Examine the buccal area and the gingivolabial (gingivobuccal) sulcus
Inspect lateral, superior, and inferior walls
Ask the patient to lift their tongue in the air
Inspect the floor of the mouth (use the tongue depressor if needed)
Use a tongue depressor to move the tongue down
Inspect the uvula, tonsillar tissue, palatal folds, and posterior pharyngeal wall NURS 6512 Midterm exam study Guide
Hearing loss findings when examining the elder patient
• Nearly 1/3 of adults over the age of 65 have hearing loss.
• Age-related hearing loss is associated with degerneration of hair cells in the organ of Corti, loss of cortical and organ of Corti auditory neurons, degerneration of the cochlear conductive membrane, and decreased vascularity in the cochlea.
• Sensorineural hearing loss-first occurs with high-frequency sounds and then progresses to tones of lower frequency. Loss of high frequency sounds usually interferes with the understanding of speech and localization of sound.
• Conductive hearing loss- may result from an excess deposition of bone cells along the ossicle chain, causing fixation of the stapes in the oval window, cerumen impaction, or a sclerotic tympanic membrane.
Risk Factors of hearing loss in adults (obtained in history portion of assessment)
• Exposure to industrial or recreational noise
• Genetic disease: Meniere disease
• Neurogenerative and autoimmune disorders
• Syphilis
• Ototoxic medication use (Ex: aminoglycosides, gentamicin, streptomycin, quinine, salicylates, and furosemide.
Hearing loss findings
• Cranial nerve VIII is tested by evaluation of hearing
• Hearing screening begins when the patient responds to your questions and directions
• Asking patients if they have a hearing problem is associated with detecting a mild to moderate hearing impairment with audiometric assessment.
• Behaviors such as cupping hand behind ear or tilting an ear toward you when listening
• Excessive requests for repetition may indicate hearing loss
• Speech with a monotonous tone and erratic volume may indicate hearing loss
NURS 6512 Midterm exam study Guide
Whisper Test
Check the patients response to your whispered voice, one ear at a time, while having the patient insert finger into opposite ear canal. Stand 1-2 d=feet away from the ear being tested and out of the patients line of vision. Whisper a random combination of three to six letters and numbers. EX. 3, T,8 and ask the patient to repeat what was heard. The patient should correctly repeat 50% of the sounds. Repeat process with other ear.
Examination techniques used to examine the trachea and thyroid
Please refer to pages in Siedel pp. 185-188, pp. 194-195, Hyper and Hypothyroidism (pp 200-201) and pg. 273
View video on YouTube demo:
The Thyroid Exam
(Stanford Medicine 25) on YouTube:
View Video:
Thyroid Status Examination
– OSCE Guide:
View Video:
Examination of the Trachea
Thyroid Anatomy:
One gland two lobes, butterfly-shaped and joined by an isthmus at their lowest aspect (Seidel, p.185).
Thyroid Gland that straddles the trachea in the middle of the neck
. Secretes T4 and T3. Has two lobes.
Thyroid is the largest endocrine gland
in the body producing two hormones Thyroxine (T4) and Triiodothyronine (T3).
Thyroid feels
: Rubbery and easier to feel on a long slender neck
What do you do if the thyroid is enlarged?:
Listen over lateral lobes w/ bell and listen for thyroid bruit
Inspect Neck
for range of motion, strength, trachea, thyroid, and lymph nodes.
Trachea
: The trachea, colloquially called the windpipe, is a cartilaginous tube that connects the pharynx and larynx to the lungs, allowing the passage of air, and so is present in almost all air-breathing animals with lungs NURS 6512 Midterm exam study Guide
What techniques do you use to examine the neck?
inspection
: inspect the neck in the usual anatomic position, in slight hyperextension as the patient swallows ( Seidel p. 193 see pictures).
palpation
: palpate the trachea for midline position (Seidel p.192, see picture)
auscultation
: when checking for bruits often noted in children and uncommon in neonates (Seidel p. 192).
Refer to Website: https://depts.washington.edu/physdx/thyroid/tech.html
Techniques: Thyroid Exam
There are several physical examination maneuvers described for examination of the thyroid described below that are at least moderately sensitive and specific. Much of the exam is based on physiological reasoning and tradition rather than on studies of reliability or precision. Combining the examination and association signs and symptoms increases the
accuracy of the physical examination of the thyroid
.
Goiter: Examination of the thyroid for size
Note: An enlarged thyroid is referred to as a goiter. There is no direct correlation between size and function- a person with a goiter can be euthyroid, hypo- or hyperthyroid.
A normal thyroid is estimated to be 10 grams with an upper limit of 20 grams or 2 to 4 teaspoons.
Examination for goiter can increase the possibility of thyroid disease in patients with symptoms of hypo- or hyperthyroidism, in determining the choice of treatment in hyperthyroidism and monitoring the response to therapy directed at decreasing the size of the thyroid in cases of symptomatic goiter. NURS 6512 Midterm exam study Guide.
The examination consists of three portions:
Inspection,
Palpation, and
Synthesis of data from these techniques
In addition to palpating for size, also note the gland texture, mobility, tenderness and the presence of nodules.
Inspection
Inspection: Anterior Approach
The patient should be seated or standing in a comfortable position with the neck in a neutral or slightly extended position.
Cross-lighting increases shadows, improving the detection of masses.
To enhance visualization of the thyroid, you can:
Extending the neck, which stretches overlying tissues
Have the patient swallow a sip of water, watching for the upward movement of the thyroid gland.
251KB video demo
from
Return to the Bedside
Inspection: Lateral Approach
After completing anterior inspection of the thyroid, observe the neck from the side.
Estimate the smooth, straight contour from the cricoid cartilage to the suprasternal notch.
Measure any prominence beyond this imagined contour, using a ruler placed in the area of prominence.
Palpation
Note: There is no data comparing palpation using the anterior approach to the posterior approach so examiners should use the approach that they find most comfortable.
Palpation: Anterior Approach
The patient is examined in the seated or standing position.
Attempt to locate the thyroid isthmus by palpating between the cricoid cartilage and the suprasternal notch.
Use one hand to slightly retract the sternocleidomastoid muscle while using the other to palpate the thyroid.
Have the patient swallow a sip of water as you palpate, feeling for the upward movement of the thyroid gland.
454KB video demo
from
Return to the Bedside
.
Palpation: Posterior Approach
The patient is examined in the seated or standing position.
Standing behind the patient, attempt to locate the thyroid isthmus by palpating between the cricoid cartilage and the suprasternal notch.
Move your hands laterally to try to feel under the sternocleidomstoids for the fullness of the thyroid.
Have the patient swallow a sip of water as you palpate, feeling for the upward movement of the thyroid gland.
Note: This traditional technique is based on physiological reasoning; data of effectiveness is lacking.
Synthesis of data from these techniques
Using the data from anterior and lateral inspection and from palpation, categorize the gland as:
goiter ruled out [normal or small (1 to 2 times normal) with lateral prominence <2 mm ],
goiter ruled in [large (& 2 times normal) or lateral prominence >2 mm] or
See
Evidence Base
and
Differential Diagnosi
s.
back to top
Nodules: Examination of the thyroid for nodularity
Thyroid nodules are common (prevalence 4%). Half of the thyroids glands examined by ultrasound or direct visualization (surgery or autopsy) have nodules. Physical examination detects approximately 10% of the nodules found by these methods. Nodules increase in frequency with age and are four times more likely in women than men. Less than 5% of all nodules are cancerous.
Technique
The
location
of the thyroid is identified by inspection.
Using the anterior or posterior approach
, palpate the thyroid to identify nodules
Note the
size and number
of nodules. NURS 6512 Midterm exam study Guide
Note the
consistency
of the nodule.
Palpate
regional lymph nodes for consistency and mobility
.
Take a look at a teaching demo video.
Also called the digestive tract, the alimentary tract is composed of the following hollow organs: the mouth, the esophagus, stomach, small intestines, large intestines, and the anus. The solid organs of the tract include the liver, pancreas, and gallbladder.
#36- The correct assessment order for examining the abdomen is: 1) Inspect 2) Auscultate 3) Percuss 4) Palpate
Inspect the skin characteristics, contour, pulsations, and movement
Auscultate all 4 quadrants for bowel sounds. Auscultate the aorta and renal, iliac, and femoral arteries for bruits or venous hums.
Percuss all quadrants for tone. Percuss liver borders and estimate spans. Percuss left midaxillary line for splenic dullness.
Lightly palpate quadrants x4. Deeply palpate quadrants x4. Palpate right costal margin for liver border. palpate left costal margin for spleen. Palpate laterally at the flanks for left and right kidneys. Palpate midline for aortic pulsation. Test abdominal reflexes.
Finally, have the patient raise the head as you inspect the abdominal muscles. NURS 6512 Midterm exam study Guide.
ABDOMINAL EXAMINATION CORRECT SEQUENCE
WHEN YOU PERFORM a physical assessment, you’ll use four techniques: inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation. Use them in sequence—unless you’re performing an abdominal assessment. Palpation and percussion can alter bowel sounds, so you’d inspect, auscultate, percuss, then palpate an abdomen.
Seidel’s Guide to Physical Examination—Examination of the Liver pg. 385-386
Assessment YouTube Video:
Liver palpation
The lower edge of the liver can be palpable on inspiration about 3 cm below the right rib cage. The liver palpation can be performed with one hand or bimanually, and in the case of obese patients, the so-called “hooking” technique might be helpful as well.
One-hand liver palpation
Place your right hand on patient’s abdomen, lateral to the rectus muscle, well below the level of percussed border of liver dullness.
Orient your fingers towards the patient’s head or slightly diagonally towards the midline. Press your fingers firmly in and up (towards the patient’s head).
Ask the patient to take a deep breath. On inspiration, the liver descends, and its edge meets the fingertips of the palpating hand.
Continue palpating, moving your hand toward the coastal margin until you feel the liver edge (usually a few cm below right costal margin). Note liver edge texture and regularity. Slight tenderness on palpation is normal.
When your fingers meet the liver edge, slightly reduce the pressure on the abdominal wall while the patient is still taking a deep breath in. This maneuver allows the examiner to feel the anterior liver surface as it slips under the finger pads. Make a note of the consistency of the liver surface-nodes, granularity, etc. (Figure 2) NURS 6512 Midterm exam study Guide
Bimanual liver palpation
Place your left hand posteriorly at the level of the patient’s two lower ribs, and gently press upward to elevate the liver into a more accessible position.
Ask the patient to take a deep breath and perform palpation with your right hand as described above.
The “hooking” technique
This can be helpful when the liver is not palpable by the standard techniques.
Stand on the right of the patient, facing the patient’s feet.
Place your flexed fingers over the edge of costal margin.
Ask the patient to take a deep breath and try to feel the liver edge as you press downward and upward (towards the patient’s head). NURS 6512 Midterm exam study Guide
Signs and symptoms of liver disease include:
Skin and eyes that appear yellowish (jaundice)
Abdominal pain and swelling
Swelling in the legs and ankles
Itchy skin
Dark urine color
Pale stool color, or bloody or tar-colored stool
Chronic fatigue
Nausea or vomiting
Loss of appetite
Tendency to bruise easily
Examination findings associated with appendicitis
Appendicitis
The incidence of appendicitis peaks at age 10 to 20 years, although it can occur at any age.
The patient reports sudden onset of colicky pain that progresses to a constant pain.
The pain can begin in the epigastrium or periumbilicus and later localize to the RLQ.
The pain worsens with movement or coughing. NURS 6512 Midterm exam study Guide
Vomiting after the onset of pain sometimes occurs.
On physical examination, the patient will be lying still and demonstrate involuntary guarding.
Classically, tenderness occurs in the RLQ.
The other tests for peritoneal irritation will be positive.
Rebound tenderness may be present.
Variation in presentation is common, particularly with infants, children, and the elderly.
Diagnostic testing includes complete blood count (CBC) with differential to confirm or rule out infection and the use of either ultrasonography, CT scan, or laparoscopy. NURS 6512 Midterm exam study Guide.
Psoas sign, McBurney point pain, rebound tenderness, and periumbilical pain that migrates to the right lower quadrant are signs of appendicitis.
Conditions that cause irritation of the obturator muscle are late findings usually associated with a ruptured appendix or pelvic abscess.
An accurate diagnosis based on history and physical examination can facilitate immediate surgical evaluation and definitive treatment and prevent unnecessary use of radiologic imaging.
In adults, historical symptoms that increase the likelihood of appendicitis are right lower quadrant (RLQ) pain, initial periumbilical pain with migration to the RLQ, and the presence of pain before vomiting.
The presence of rigidity, a positive psoas sign, fever, and/or rebound tenderness are physical examination findings that increase the likelihood of appendicitis.
EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE
Clinical Diagnosis of Appendicitis
In a review of clinical decision rules to assist in diagnosing appendicitis, the authors concluded that decision models that score combinations of findings from the history and clinical examination are more powerful than any single finding.
They point to the Alvarado model as one that balances accuracy with ease of use and familiarity to clinicians.
It combines the results for eight findings; a score of 7 or more out of a potential 10 indicates the need for surgical intervention.
The Alvarado model has a sensitivity of 81% and a specificity of 74%. NURS 6512 Midterm exam study Guide.
ALVARADO SCORE FOR EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF ACUTE APPENDICITIS
VARIABLE
SCORE
Migration of pain
1
Anorexia-acetone
1
Nausea/vomiting
1
Tenderness in RLQ
2
Rebound pain
1
Elevation of temperature
1
Leukocytosis
2
Shift to the left on differential (neutrophils >75%)
1
Maximum total score
10
Positive score
≥7*
*A score of 7 or more indicates the need for surgical intervention.
Examining Mc Burney’s Sign
Positive sign associated with appendicitis
+ tenderness at the RLQ (Mc Burney’s Point) Measure 1/3 between ASIS and umbilicus (Ball, Dains, Flynn, Solomon, & Stewart, 2015) pgs. 390-391
Video to assess for a positive Mc Burney’s sign –
(YouTube, 2016)
Assessment of abdominal pain in women
*Key Points
Auscultation should be done last when examining the abdomen
Example question found through Elsevier online: Your patient is complaining of acute, intense sharp epigastric pain that radiates to the back and left scapula with nausea and vomiting. Based on this history, your prioritized physical examination should be to: inspect for ecchymosis of the flank.
When assessing abdominal pain in college-aged women always ask when the first day of their last menstrual period was!!!
Before performing an abdominal exam have the patient empty their bladder!
After abdominal inspection then AUSCULTATE
Inspection of the abdomen should begin with the patient SUPINE
Advanced Health Assessment and Clinical Diagnosis in Primary Care (Dains, Baumann, & Scheibel: Chapter 3 pg. 11
Pg. 20: Perform a pelvic exam in women to rule out STI, PID, ovarian pain, ectopic pregnancy, and uterine fibroids. Cervical motion tenderness (CMT) is the hallmark of PID.
Pg. 28-32 table with common causes of acute abdominal pain
Examples for women:
Ectopic Pregnancy:
women of childbearing age, sudden onset of spotting and persistent cramping in lower quadrant that begins shortly after missed period.
Dysmenorrhea:
typical premenstrual pain onset soon after menarche, gradually diminishes with age. Gynecology consult is needed with pelvic ultrasound. (pg. 30)
Uterine Fibroids:
pain related to menses or intercourse. (
Physical Findings:
Palpable myomas. Pelvic ultrasound is needed with gynecology consult (pg. 27, 31)
Ovarian Cyst:
common with younger women. (pg. 27, 31)
Physical Findings:
adnexal pain and palpable ovarian cysts especially later in cycle
Cholecystitis:
more common in women. Pain located in RUQ and radiates to right scapular area, dark urine, N/V, light stools, and may be aggravated by certain foods. (pg. 29)NURS 6512 Midterm exam study Guide
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID):
common in women younger than 35 who are sexually active usually with more than one partner. Often caused by chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae with onset occurring after menses. Patients present with lower abdominal pain that progressively becomes severe. Upon examination: tender abdomen, CMT, and adnexal tenderness. Patients may guard and have rebound tenderness, fever, irregular bleeding, vaginal discharge, and vomiting, WBC and ESR are usually elevated. (pg. 25)
Causes of lower abdominal or pelvic pain
Lower abdominal or pelvic pain, refers to discomfort that occurs at or below your belly button. Most women will experience pain in the
lower abdomen
from time to time. More often than not this is due to menstruation.
The bladder and reproductive organs are often where pelvic pain occurs. In many cases it is difficult to diagnose the exact cause of the pain, but noting certain symptoms will help come to a diagnosis.
The most common lower abdominal pain causes are:
A urinary disorder, such as bladder or kidney problems.
A bowel problem.
A problem with the reproductive system – the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries.
Abdominal pain arising from the urinary system
Urine infections
are common and present symptoms, such as burning when you pass urine and going to the toilet more often.
Infection can spread to the kidneys (pyelonephritis) and can make you feel unwell with a high temperature and back pain.
If you have pain that spreads from your back down to your groin and is severe – your doctor may be more concerned that you have
kidney stones
. The doctor will test your urine if you have any of the above symptoms. NURS 6512 Midterm exam study Guide.
Abdominal pain arising from the digestive system
Pain arising from the large intestine is a particularly common cause of lower abdominal pain in both men and women. Features suggesting your pain may be to do with the bowel are:
Pain associated with bowel movement
A change in bowel habit
Blood with bowel movement
Bloating
Both
constipation
and
diarrhea
can give you pain. The pain they are often associated with is described as crampy or ‘colicky.’ This means that it comes and goes in waves. Large bowel pain is characteristically relieved on opening the bowels.
Potential causes of pain arising from the bowel include
irritable bowel syndrome
(IBS), which can give you alternating diarrhea, constipation and bloating.
Other conditions include diverticular disease and its complications which are more frequent in older patients. Inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s). A rare but important diagnosis is colorectal cancer.
Bloating and swelling is also a common symptom that people report and can be due to a problem affecting the bowels NURS 6512 Midterm exam study Guide.
Abdominal pain arising from the reproductive organs
Pain can originate from your uterus (womb), fallopian tubes or ovaries. It’s usually felt in the middle of the lower abdomen.
Pain that is felt more to the side can be more typical of a pain coming from the ovary.
Pain coming from the uterus is often worse during your period and is called dysmenorrhea.
Some conditions affecting the reproductive system can also cause pain during intercourse. This is called
dyspareunia
and it is important to let your doctor know if you are concerned.
Examples of conditions of the reproductive organs include:
Endometriosis
Fibroids
Pelvic inflammatory disease
Ovarian cysts
Problems related to the early stage of pregnancy, such as a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy.
*Seek immediate medical assistance if your symptoms include a fever, vomiting blood, passing dark or bloody stools or acute and worsening pain.
Questions about a person’s emotional life-family, home, work and sex life are appropriate.
Further abdominal pain investigations
Depending on the exact symptoms and duration, referral to the appropriate specialist is often required. These may include:
Gynecological causes may require vaginal swabs, cervical smears or pelvic ultrasound examination. Ultrasound may also be performed from within the vagina. Specialized blood test for ovarian cancer, CA-125, are usually performed. More invasive tests will depend upon the doctor’s suspicion of the cause of the pain.
Urinary causes can be investigated by urine culture, ultrasound or CT scan.
Colonic causes may require internal endoscopic examination of the bowel by Flexible Sigmoidoscopy or Colonoscopy.
A CT (Computerized Tomography Scan) may be appropriate for all three major sites of pain. NURS 6512 Midterm exam study Guide
QUESTION #41 &42
Anatomic correlates of Nine regions of abdomen. Seidel p. 378-379
Right Hypochondriac
Right lobe of liver
Gallbladder
Portion of duodenum
Hepatic flexure of colon
Portion of right kidney
Right adrenal gland
Epigastric
Pylorus
Duodenum
Pancreas
Portion of the liver
Left hypochondriac
Stomach
Spleen
Tail of pancreas
Splenic flexure of colon
Upper pole of left kidney
Left adrenal gland
Right Lumbar
Ascending colon
Lower half of right kidney
Portion of duodenum and jejunum
UMBILICAL
Omentum
Mesentery
Lower part of duodenum
Jejunum and ileum
Left lumbar
Descending colon
Lower half of left kidney
Portions of jejunum and ileum
Right Inguinal
Cecum
Appendix
Lower end of ileum
Right ureter
Right spermatic cord
Right ovary
Hypogastric (pubic)
Ileum
Bladder
Uterus (if enlarged)
NURS 6512 Midterm exam study Guide
Left inguinal
Sigmoid colon
Left ureter
Left spermatic cord
Left ovary
Characteristics of Bowel sounds heard during auscultation: (Seidel p. 381)
Range from 5 to 35 per minute
Borborygmi: loud prolonged gurgles
Increased bowel sounds may occur with gastroenteritis, early intestinal obstruction, or hunger.
High-pitched tinkling suggest intestinal fluid or air under pressure (in early obstruction)
Decreased bowel sounds occur with peritonitis and paralytic ileus.
*MUST auscultate in all four quadrants if there are any major concern and the absence of bowel sounds is the inability to hear ANY bowel sounds after 5 minutes of continuous listening; typically associated with abdominal pain and rigidity and is considered an EMERGENCY. NURS 6512 Midterm exam study Guide