Purpose
The purpose of this Discussion is to explore ways to individualize an assessment of the head, eyes, ears, nose, and throat (HEENT) and the neurological system to meet the individual client’s needs.
Course Outcomes
This Discussion enables the student to meet the following course outcomes:
- CO 1: Demonstrate a head-to-toe physical assessment. (PO 1)
- CO 3: Describe physical, psychosocial, cultural, and spiritual influences on an individual’s health status. (PO 4)
- CO 4: Demonstrate effective communication skills during health assessment and documentation. (PO 3)
- CO 6: Demonstrate caring and professional behaviour during patient interactions. (POs 6, 7)
SOLUTION:
Scenario: Jackson is a 16-year-old male admitted to the emergency department after sustaining a concussion during a football game. His parents report that Jackson hit his head on the ground after being tackled. Moments later, he began vomiting and became dizzy and disoriented. He has no pertinent past medical history and no significant surgical history. He complains of a headache, sensitivity to light, and nausea.
Paragraph one: Neurological. Discuss which specific assessments you would complete on Jackson. Explain why you would select these assessments. Until spinal injury had been ruled out, maintaining spinal precautions is important. I would assess alertness and orientation verifying what Jackson’s baseline was prior to injury with his parents. We know that he has no significant past medical or surgical history. I would assess his cranial and spinal nerves with various sensory stimuli and facial movements. I would assess Jackson’s motor function through grip strength and muscle symmetry if he is still under spinal precautions and once cleared would have him walk to determine coordination and gait. A Post Concussion Symptom Scale (PCSS) is one tool that can be used to evaluate the severity of Jackson’s symptoms and can also help trend improvement or deterioration. Since reporting of symptoms can vary by age and gender, it is important……………………………KINDLY CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO ACCESS THE ENTIRE DOCUMENT FOR $10