In assessing an older adult client, the nurse notes that the client's right arm muscles feel soft and boggy. To gather additional data related to this finding, which assessment should the nurse complete next?
Determine degree of skin elasticity.
Measure muscle size and strength.
Inspect appearance of the spine.
Note 24-hour fluid intake and output.
The Correct Answer is B
A. Determine degree of skin elasticity: While decreased skin elasticity can be a sign of aging, it doesn't directly assess muscle tone or strength.
B. Measure muscle strength: This is the most appropriate next step to confirm the nurse's initial suspicion of weak muscles. Techniques like manual muscle testing can assess muscle strength.
C. Inspect appearance of the spine: Spinal issues can affect movement and coordination, but they wouldn't necessarily explain soft and boggy muscles in one arm.
D. Note 24-hour fluid intake and output: This might be relevant for overall health assessment but doesn't directly assess muscle tone or strength.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
A. Listen for abnormal sounds. Before identifying abnormal sounds, it's essential to first establish a baseline by identifying the normal heart sounds (S1 and S2).
B. Identify S1 and S2 heart sounds. This is the correct first step in a systematic assessment of heart sounds. S1 ("lub") corresponds to the closure of the atrioventricular valves (mitral and tricuspid), while S2 ("dub") corresponds to the closure of the semilunar valves (aortic and pulmonic).
C. Move the stethoscope to the apical site. While the apical site is important for auscultating specific heart sounds, it's best to first identify S1 and S2 at the traditional auscultatory areas (aortic, pulmonic, tricuspid, and mitral).
D. Change to the bell of the stethoscope. The bell of the stethoscope is used to listen for lower-pitched sounds, but it's not typically used for identifying S1 and S2 heart sounds, which are higher-pitched.
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
A. Ask the client to describe the pain: This is the most crucial step. A good pain description can reveal characteristics like intensity, location, duration, and aggravating/relieving factors, all aiding in diagnosis.
B. Observe body language and movement: Nonverbal cues like grimacing, guarding (tensing muscles), or restlessness can indicate pain severity or location.
C. Identify effective pain relief measures: While this might be helpful later, it's not the primary way to assess pain quality initially.
D. Provide a numeric pain scale: Pain scales can be helpful for quantifying pain intensity, but a full description provides richer details.
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