Advanced Health Assessment Flashcards
In general, if you find that the clients symptoms are not psychiatrically based, you should
refer them out
Which part of the physical assessment should an NP be especially good at
the neuro exam
Components of the neuro exam
Reflexes
Cranial Nerves
Coordination and fine motor
Sensory
Motor
Neurological soft signs
Components of the neuro exam: Reflexes
Normal reflexes: Check biceps, triceps, brachioradialis, patellar, Achilles, plantar
Grade reflexes and note symmetry
Primitive reflexes (head lag, flexion, rooting, grasping, Moro, glabellar, Babinski)
Babinski
A positive Babinski is fanning the of the toes. It’s normal up to 2 years old
Neuro exam: CN1
Close your eyes an occlude each nostril one at a time and test your smell
Neuro exam: CN2
Snellen chart
Opthalmoscope
Peripheral vision test
Neuro exam: CN3
Check the 5 eye movements
Check PERLA
Corneal light reflex (shining a light at the bridge of the nose to see if the light is symmetrical in both eyes)
Neuro exam: CN4
Check eye movements
Neuro exam: CN5
Trigeminal
Clench your teeth, feel to see if one side of the face is weaker
Look for lip tremor or random mouth movements
Test their sense of touch in their face and mouth
Corneal reflex!
Neuro exam: CN6
eye movements
Neuro exam: CN7
Look at the face for drooping/paralysis
Wrinkle forehead, close eyes, frown, smile, puff cheeks
Sense of taste
Neuro exam: CN8
Hearing, webber, rinne
Neuro exam: CN9
Glossopharyngeal
Same test as CN10 vagus nerve
Neuro exam: CN 10
Open and say “ah” (check the uvula)
Gag reflex
Neuro exam: CN11
Accessory spinal
Try to raise your shoulders while I hold them done
Neuro exam: CN12
Hypoglossal
Stick out your tongue and look for tremors
Neuro exam: Coordination and fine-motor skills
Equilibrium- Use the Romberg test, they stand on one leg and look for swaying
Diadochokinesia- Are they able to perform rapid alternating movements
Dyssynergia- Finger-to-nose, heel-to-knee
Handwriting
Gait
Neuro exam: Sensory functions
Can they feel pain, temperature, light touch, two point discrimination, stereogenesis (what’s in your hand?), graphesthesia
Neuro exam: Motor functions
Muscle mass- is there atrophy? Hypertrophy?
Muscle tone- is there tension even when resting?
Muscle strength
Choreiform movements
Rapid, jerking tics
Peds BMI
If they’re BMI is over the 85th percentile, they are at risk for being overweight
Adult BMI
20 to 25 is normal
25 to 29 is overweight
30 to 35 is obese
In addition to the obvious things, high BMI is a risk for
OA and some types of cancer
If a patient has a high temperature, which 2 meds might they be taking?
Carbamazepine and clozapine (which cause agranualocytosis, which causes fever)
Which 2 meds causes SJS
lamotrigine and carbamazepine
Evaluate moles with ABCDE
Asymmetry Borders irregular Color variation Diameter greater than 6mm Elevation
If they have cataracts, which med might they be on
Quetiapine