Homework: Assessing the Abdomen
A woman went to the emergency room for severe abdominal cramping. She was diagnosed with diverticulitis; however, as a precaution, the doctor ordered a CT scan. The CT scan revealed a growth on the pancreas, which turned out to be pancreatic cancer-the real cause of the cramping.
Because of a high potential for misdiagnosis, determining the precise cause of abdominal pain can be time consuming and challenging. By analyzing case studies of abnormal abdominal findings, nurses can prepare themselves to better diagnose conditions in the abdomen.
In this Lab Homework, you will analyze an Episodic note case study that describes abnormal findings in patients seen in a clinical setting. You will consider what history should be collected from the patients as well as which physical exams and diagnostic tests should be conducted. You will also formulate a differential diagnosis with several possible conditions.
To Prepare
Review the Episodic note case study your instructor provides you for this week's Homework. See the "Course Announcements" section of the classroom for your Episodic note case study.
With regard to the Episodic note case study provided:
a. Review this Learning Resources, and consider the insights they provide about the case study.
b. Consider what history would be necessary to collect from the patient in the case study.
c. Consider what physical exams and diagnostic tests would be appropriate to gather more information about the patient's condition. How would the results be used to make a diagnosis?
d. Identify at least five possible conditions that may be considered in a differential diagnosis for the patient.
Task
a. Analyze the subjective portion of the note. List additional information that should be included in the documentation.
b. Analyze the objective portion of the note. List additional information that should be included in the documentation.
c. Is the assessment supported by the subjective and objective information? Why or why not?
d. What diagnostic tests would be appropriate for this case, and how would the results be used to make a diagnosis?
e. Would you reject/accept the current diagnosis? Why or why not? Identify three possible conditions that may be considered as a differential diagnosis for this patient. Explain your reasoning using at least three different references from current evidence-based literature.
ABDOMINAL ASSESSMENT
Subjective:
a. CC: "My stomach hurts, I have diarrhea and nothing seems to help."
b. HPI: JR, 47 yo WM, complains of having generalized abdominal pain that started 3 days ago. He has not taken any medications because he did not know what to take. He states the pain is a 5/10 today but has been as much as 9/10 when it first started. He has been able to eat, with some nausea afterwards.
c. PMH: HTN, Diabetes, hx of GI bleed 4 years ago
d. Medications: Lisinopril 10mg, Amlodipine 5 mg, Metformin 1000mg, Lantus 10 units qhs
e. Allergies: NKDA
f. FH: No hx of colon cancer, Father hx DMT2, HTN, Mother hx HTN, Hyperlipidemia, GERD
g. Social: Denies tobacco use; occasional etoh, married, 3 children (1 girl, 2 boys)
Objective:
a. VS: Temp 99.8; BP 160/86; RR 16; P 92; HT 5'10"; WT 248lbs
b. Heart: RRR, no murmurs
c. Lungs: CTA, chest wall symmetrical
d. Skin: Intact without lesions, no urticaria
e. Abd: soft, hyperactive bowel sounds, pos pain in the LLQ
f. Diagnostics: None
Format your homework according to the give formatting requirements:
a. The answer must be double spaced, typed, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
b. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the homework, the course title, the student's name, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
c. Also include a reference page. The references and Citations should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.