Nail assessment

Question 1

What are the parts being inspected in the Nail assessment?

Answer 1

for nail plate, shape, angle between the nail, and the nail bed, nail texture, nail bed color, and the intactness of the tissues around the nails.

Question 2

In inspecting fingernail plate
shape to determine its
curvature and angle, what is the normal findings?

Answer 2

Convex curvature;
angle of nail plate
about 160° nail
base

Question 3

In inspecting fingernail plate
shape to determine its
curvature and angle, what is the abnormal findings?

Answer 3

Clubbing 180° or greater (this may be caused by a long-term lack of oxygen)

Question 4

In inspecting fingernail and toenail texture, what is the normal finding?

Answer 4

Smooth texture

Question 4

In inspecting fingernail and toenail texture, what are the abnormal finding?

Answer 4

Excessive thickness or thinness or presence of grooves or furrows,
Beau’s lines (caused by injury of severe illness)

Question 5

In inspecting fingernail and toenail color, what are the normal findings?

Answer 5

Pink nail bed (In dark skin however, it may
have small or large
pigmented deposits,
streaks, freckles.

Question 6

In inspecting fingernail and toenail color, what are the abnormal findings?

Answer 6

Pale and cyanotic nails are seen in hypoxia
or anemia; yellow discoloration seen in
fungal infections or psoriasis; splinter hemorrhages (vertical lines) seen in
trauma

Question 7

In inspecting tissue surrounding nail, what is the normal condition?

Answer 7

Intact epidermis

Question 8

In inspecting tissue surrounding nail, what are the abnormal condition?

Answer 8

Paronychia (inflamed tissues of surrounding nails- referred to as ingrown
nail) indicates infection.

Onycholysis (detached nail plate from nailbed) indicates infection or trauma

Question 9

How do you perform the blanch test for capillary refill?

Answer 9

Press two on nails between your thumb and index finger; look for blanching and return of pink color to nail bed

Question 10

In performing the blanch test for capillary refill, what is the normal condition?

Answer 10

Prompt return of pink
or usual color
(generally less than 4
seconds)

Question 11

In performing the blanch test for capillary refill, what is the abnormal condition?

Answer 11

Delayed return of pink or usual color (may
indicate circulatory impairment)