Discriminative sensations, casting, dislocation Flashcards
How should you help the patient feel like they have privacy at the appt?
- close nearby doors and draw curtains
- wash hands each time you see a patient
- drap patient with gown or sheet
- describe what you are going to do to the patient before doing it
- keep patient informed throughout exam
- make instructions courteous and clear
When doing the discriminative sensation exam, should patient eyes be open or closed?
closed
Stereogenesis
- Ability to ID an object by feeling it
- Place a familiar object in hand and have patient tell you what it is
- Normally a patient will tell you what it is in 5sec
How to add a sensitivity component to stereogenesis
have patient tell you if coin is head or tails
Astereogenesis
inability to recognize objects in hand
Graphesthesia
- number identification
- Used for patients with motor impairment, arthritis or conditions preventing them from manipulating an object in hand
- With blunt end of pen, draw a number on patient palm and a normal person can ID it
Two point discrimination
- Using two ends of open paper clip touch a finger pad in two places simultaneously
- Alternate with one point
- Determine the minimal distant at which a patient can discriminate 1 from 2
Normal response in two point discrimination
<5mm on finger pads
What increases the distance between two points in two point discrimination
lesion of sensory cortex
Point localization
- Briefly touch a point on the patients skin
- Ask patient to open eyes and point to area touched
- Normally it can be done accurately
- Useful on trunk and legs
Extinction
- Simultaneously stimulate corresponding areas on both sides of the body
- Ask where the patient feels your touch
- Normally both are felt
If a patient has a lesion on the left side of sensory cortex, where will the stimulus on leg be extinguished
right side
A lesion in what area will effect discriminative sensations
sensory cortex
What is a shoulder dislocation
head of humerus is out of socket (glenoid cavity)
What is a subluxation
temporary and partial dislocation
Patient with shoulder dislocation will have?
poor ROM and lots of pain
arm is slightly abducted and externally rotated; humeral head may be felt anteriorly and the void seen posteriorly (sulcus signs)
Anterior dislocation
If anterior dislocation, is there injury to axillary nerve
NO
patient arm internal rotation and adducted; prominent humeral head seen and palpated posteriorly; patient guards the extremity
posterior dislocation
Treat shoulder dislocation
- prompt reduction or glenohumeral joint
Increased risk of a patellar dislocation
Patellofemoral malalignment, abnormal patellar configuration and previous history of instability
Acute pain after direct contact or sudden change in direction, fell the knee giving way due to quad pain, rapid swelling, intense knee pain and difficulty with knee flexion, joint knee effusion
patellar dislocation
If there is significant tenderness medially near the medial retinaculum what do we think
tear
Apprehension sign
Knee placed at 30 degrees flexion and leteral pressure is applied. Medial instability results in apprehension by patients
Treat patellar dislocation
If fracture noted with dislocation obtain orthopedic consultation
Where do we immobilize a joint
above and below the injury
How do we wrap the ace
distal to proximal to prevent trapping of blood distal to injury
What must we do before an after splinting
distal circulation, motor function and sensation
Pain with a splint or cast is what?
compartment syndrome
Do preformed splints provide same level of immobilization as custom
NO
What type of water do we use when splinting and casting
room-temperature
What happens when plaster put in water
gypsum recrystallizes and harden in an exothermic reaction
Complications of splinting
too loose: sores and abrasions
too tight: neuromuscular compromise/injury, contact dermatitis, pressure sores