Age Specific Care Related

Review Age Specific Care related questions and content

A patient with fluctuating levels of awareness, confusion, and disorientation shouts, 'The bugs, they are crawling on my legs! Get them off me!' The nurse's inspections show that no bugs are present. The nurse can best assess this presentation as:

  • A. Perseveration.
  • B. Hypermetamorphosis.
  • C. Tactile hallucinations.
  • D. None of the above.
Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: Tactile hallucinations. Tactile hallucinations involve the perception of physical sensations such as bugs crawling on the skin when no external stimuli are present. In this scenario, the patient's complaint of bugs crawling on their legs despite the nurse's inspection confirming the absence of bugs indicates a sensory hallucination, specifically a tactile one. This is different from perseveration (repetition of a particular response or activity) and hypermetamorphosis (excessive attention to environmental details). Choosing "None of the above" would not address the specific symptom of tactile hallucinations described in the patient's presentation.