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A nurse is caring for a patient who is being assessed following complaints of severe and persistent low back pain. The patient is scheduled for diagnostic testing in the morning. Which of the following are appropriate diagnostic tests for assessing low back pain?
- A. Computed tomography (CT)
- B. Angiography
- C. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- D. Ultrasound
- E. X-ray
Correct Answer: A,C,D,E
Rationale: A variety of diagnostic tests can be used to address lower back pain, including CT, MRI, ultrasound, and X-rays. Angiography is not related to the etiology of back pain.
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A nurse is caring for a patient who is being treated in the hospital for a spontaneous vertebral fracture related to osteoporosis. The nurse should address the nursing diagnosis of Acute Pain Related to Fracture by implementing what intervention?
- A. Maintenance of high Fowler's positioning whenever possible
- B. Intermittent application of heat to the patient's back
- C. Use of a pressure-reducing mattress
- D. Passive range of motion exercises
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Intermittent local heat and back rubs promote muscle relaxation following osteoporotic vertebral fractures. High Fowler's positioning is likely to exacerbate pain. The mattress must be adequately supportive, but pressure reduction is not necessarily required. Passive range of motion exercises to the back would cause pain and impair healing.
A nurse is planning the care of an older adult patient with osteomalacia. What action should the nurse recommend in order to promote vitamin D synthesis?
- A. Ensuring adequate exposure to sunlight
- B. Eating a low-purine diet
- C. Performing cardiovascular exercise while avoiding weight-bearing exercises
- D. Taking thyroid supplements as ordered
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Because sunlight is necessary for synthesizing vitamin D, patients should be encouraged to spend some time in the sun. A low-purine diet is not a relevant action and thyroid supplements do not directly affect bone function. Action must be taken to prevent fractures, but weight-bearing exercise within safe parameters is not necessarily contraindicated.
A nurse is caring for a patient with Paget's disease and is reviewing the patient's most recent laboratory values. Which of the following values is most characteristic of Paget's disease?
- A. An elevated level of parathyroid hormone and low calcitonin levels
- B. A low serum alkaline phosphatase level and a low serum calcium level
- C. An elevated serum alkaline phosphatase level and a normal serum calcium level
- D. An elevated calcitonin level and low levels of parathyroid hormone
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Patients with Paget's disease have normal blood calcium levels. Elevated serum alkaline phosphatase concentration and urinary hydroxyproline excretion reflect the increased osteoblastic activity associated with this condition.
A patient with diabetes has been diagnosed with osteomyelitis. The nurse notes that the patient's right foot is pale and mottled, cool to touch, with a capillary refill of greater than 3 seconds. The nurse should suspect what type of osteomyelitis?
- A. Hematogenous osteomyelitis
- B. Osteomyelitis with vascular insufficiency
- C. Contiguous-focus osteomyelitis
- D. Osteomyelitis with muscular deterioration
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Osteomyelitis is classified as hematogenous osteomyelitis (i.e., due to blood-borne spread of infection); contiguous-focus osteomyelitis, from contamination from bone surgery, open fracture, or traumatic injury (e.g., gunshot wound); and osteomyelitis with vascular insufficiency, seen most commonly among patients with diabetes and peripheral vascular disease, most commonly affecting the feet. Osteomyelitis with muscular deterioration does not exist.
A patient presents at the clinic with complaints of morning numbness, cramping, and stiffness in his fourth and fifth fingers. What disease process should the nurse suspect?
- A. Tendonitis
- B. A ganglion
- C. Carpal tunnel syndrome
- D. Dupuytren's disease
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: In cases of Dupuytren's disease, the patient may experience dull, aching discomfort, morning numbness, cramping, and stiffness in the affected fingers. This condition starts in one hand, but eventually both hands are affected. This clinical scenario does not describe tendonitis, a ganglion, or carpal tunnel syndrome.