HealthAssessment4 Flashcards
Skin Moisture/Dryness
seborrhea = oily
xerosis = dry
dehydration-oral mucous membranes-dry, lips parched and cracked, skin fissured
diaphoresis-increased metabolic rate as with fever, exercise; thyrotoxicosis, stimulation of the nervous system=anxiety, pain
Pruritis
Itching-dry skin, aging, drug reactions, allergy, obstructive jaundice, uremia, lice
Scratching-causes excoriation
ABCDE
- Asymmetry
- Border irregularity, poorly defined margins
- Color variation
- Diameter greater than 6mm
- Elevation or enlargement
Other-rapidly changing lesion, a new pigmented lesion, development of itching, burning, or bleeding in a mole-suspect malignant melanoma-warrant referral.
Skin Color Changes
- pigmentation should be even and consistent with genetic background
- pallor
- erythema
- cyanosis
- jaundice
Pallor
When the red-pink tones from oxygenated hemoglobin are lost skin takes on the color of connective tissue (collagen) which is mostly white
Common in high stress states-anxiety/fear because of peripheral vasoconstriction-sympathetic nervous system
Vasoconstriction also occurs with cold exposure and cigarette smoking, and in the presence of edema
Brown skin-will appear more yellow
Black skin-will appear ashen or gray
Generalized pallor can be observed in the mucous membranes, lips and nail beds
Pallor of anemia-palpebral conjuctiva and nail beds
Pallor of impending shock presents with rapid pulse rate, oliguria, apprehension, restlessness
Erythema
Intense redness of the skin
Expected with fever (increased rate of blood flow), local inflammation, emotional reactions (blushing - cheeks, neck, upper chest)
Occurs with polycythemia, venous stasis, carbon monoxide poisoning, petechiae, eccymosis, hematoma
Dark Skin-palpate the skin for increased warmth, taut or tightly pulled surfaces that may indicate edema and hardening of deep tissues or blood vessels
Cyanosis
Bluish mottled color that indicates decreased perfusion.
A person who is anemic bc of lack of HgB may be hypoxemic without ever looking blue
A person with polycythemia may look ruddy blue at all times and may not be hypoxemic.
Mediterranean descent-normal bluish tone on the lips
Dark skin-difficult to observe-look for other signs of decreased oxygenation to the brain=changes in LOC and signs of respiratory distress
Cyanosis-indicates hypoxemia–occurs with shock, heart failure, chronic bronchitis, congenital heart disease.
Jaundice
- yellowish skin color-indicates rsing amounts of bilirubin in the blood
- First noted in the junction of the hard and soft palate in the mouth and sclera-extends up to edge of iris-check sclera for yellow near limbus. also-palms of hands
- do not confuse normal yellow subconjuctival fatty deposits common in outer sclera of dark-skinned people.
- higher levels of serum bilirubin-evident in the skin over the rest of the body
- calluses on palms and soles often look yellow-not jaundice
- occurs with hepatitis, cirrohosis, sickle-cell disease, transfusion rxn, hemolytic disease of the newborn
- light or clay-colored stools and dark golden urine in both light and dk skinned people
Hypothermia
- localized hypothermia is expected with an immobilized extremity, Reynauds, peripheral arterial insufficiency
- generalized hypothermia accompanies central circulatory problems-shock
Hyperthermia
- generalized hyperthermia occurs with an increased metabolic rate-fever, heavy exercise
- localized-trauma, infection, sunburn
- hyperthyroidism=increased metabolic rate-causing warm, moist skin.
Edema
- fluid accumulation in the intercellular spaces
- imprint thumbs firmly against the ankle melleolus or tibia
- rate pitting from 1+ to 4+ (deep pitting, indentation lasts long time, leg is very swollen)
- edema masks normal skin color and obscures pathalogical conditions-jaundice or cyanosis bc fluid lies bt surface and pigmented vascular layer
- makes skin look lighter
- most evident in dependent parts of the body
- makes hair follicles more prominent (peau d’orange)
- unilateral=local cause
- bilateral=generalized (anasarca)-considered a central problem such as heart failure or kidney failure.
Turgor
pinch a large fold of skin under the clavical
reflects the elasticity of the skin
poor turgor with severe dehydration, or extreme weight loss
pinched skin recedes slowly or “tents”
Medications causing Photosensitivity
- sulfonamides
- thiazide diuretics
- oral hypoglycemic agents
- tetracycline
Eldery Skin Conditions
- Lentigines=liver spots-small, flat, brown macules. Circumscribed areas=clusters of melanocytes that appear after extensive sun exposure; forearms and dorsa of hands. not malignant. require no treatment
- seborrheic keratosis-raised thickened areas of pigmentation that look crusted, scaly, warty, greasy, stuck on. Develop mostly on the trunk but also face and hands-sun exposed and unexposed-do NOT become cancerous.
- xerosis-decline in size, number, and output of sweat glands and sebaceous glands
- acrochordons=skin tags
Clubbing
occurs with congenital cyanotic heart disease and neoplastic and pulmonary disease. COPD, emphysema
early clubbing angle straigtens (from 160 to 180) and nail base feels spongy to palpation. then the nail becomes convex
Signs of Physical Abuse
bruises in multiple stages (red/blue/purple-blue/purple-blue/green-yellow-brown) or that cannot be explained by normalevents. (hematoma is a bruise you can feel)
Pattern injuries which suggest a shape: Bite marks,
cigarette burns, belt marks, “socked hands or feet” from scalding water.
deformity of an untreated fracture.
Pressure Ulcers
I. intact skin-red but unbroken-will blanch (light skin, dk skin-does not blanch)
III. partial skin-thickness erosionII. with loss of epidermis or also dermis-looks shallow like an abrasion or open blister with red-pink wound bed.
III. full thickness pressure ulcer extending into the subQ tissue and resembling a crater. May see sub Q fat but NOT muscle, bone or tendon
IV. full thickness-involves all skin layers and extends into supporting tissue. Exposes muscle, tendon or bone, and may show slough or eschar-nerves are damaged-gone!!
Braden Scale-nutrition, meds, bedrest, age
ROM/Joint Movement
Flexion—bending a limb at a joint
Extension—straightening a limb at a joint
Abduction—moving a limb away from the midline of the body
Adduction—moving a limb toward the midline of the body
Pronation—turning the forearm so that the palm is down
Supination—turning the forearm so that the palm is up
Circumduction—moving the arm in a circle around the shoulder
Inversion—moving the sole of the foot inward at the ankle
Eversion—moving the sole of the foot outward at the
ankle
Rotation—moving the head around a central axis
Protraction—moving a body part forward and parallel to the ground
Retraction—moving a body part backward and parallel to the ground
Elevation—raising a body part
Depression—lowering a body part
The normal ranges of active and passive range of motion should be the same!