A nurse is providing care to a client who has Parkinson’s disease and is having difficulty swallowing. Which of the following departments should the nurse plan to contact for a consultation?
Respiratory therapy
Nutritional therapy
Occupational therapy
Speech therapy .
The Correct Answer is D
Choice A rationale
Respiratory therapy is primarily concerned with the treatment and management of a patient’s breathing. While swallowing difficulties can potentially lead to respiratory issues such as aspiration pneumonia, the primary role of evaluating and treating swallowing difficulties falls outside the scope of respiratory therapy.
Choice B rationale
Nutritional therapy would be involved in managing the dietary needs of a patient with Parkinson’s disease, including modifications to food texture and liquid consistency if swallowing difficulties are present. However, the evaluation and treatment of the swallowing difficulty itself would be managed by a speech therapist.
Choice C rationale
Occupational therapy could assist with adaptations to enhance the patient’s feeding skills and independence during meals. However, the specific evaluation and treatment of swallowing function is typically within the scope of a speech therapist.
Choice D rationale
Speech therapists, or speech-language pathologists, are the professionals specifically trained to evaluate and treat individuals with speech, language, voice, and swallowing disorders. This would include a patient with Parkinson’s disease experiencing difficulty swallowing.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is ["A","B","D","E"]
Explanation
Choice A rationale
Assessing muscle strength is important after a fall as it can help determine if the fall was due to muscle weakness or other neurological issues.
Choice B rationale
Checking for facial symmetry is crucial as asymmetry may indicate a stroke or other serious neurological condition.
Choice C rationale
While checking peripheral pulses is important in general, it may not be the top priority in this case unless there is a specific reason to suspect circulatory issues.
Choice D rationale
Evaluating vision changes is important as sudden vision loss or changes could indicate a serious condition such as a stroke.
Choice E rationale
Checking for aphasia, or difficulty with language, is crucial as it can be a sign of a stroke or other serious neurological condition.
Choice F rationale
Asking about smoking history may not be a priority in the immediate assessment of a patient who has just fallen.
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
Choice A rationale: Occupational exposure to pesticides, heavy metals, and industrial toxins is a known environmental risk factor for Parkinson’s disease. Work history helps identify neurotoxic exposure linked to disease onset.
Choice B rationale: Family history may suggest genetic predisposition, but idiopathic Parkinson’s is more often linked to environmental factors. Genetics play a role, but exposure history is more actionable during assessment.
Choice C rationale: Coffee intake has been inversely associated with Parkinson’s risk, but it’s not a diagnostic or causative factor. This question does not guide clinical assessment or identify potential exposures.
Choice D rationale: Timing of last physical may inform general health status but does not address etiology or risk factors specific to Parkinson’s disease. It lacks relevance to environmental or occupational exposure.
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