A community health nurse is providing education to help reduce musculoskeletal injuries in adults. What should the nurse include in these instructions? Select all that apply

A. The trigeminal nerve (CN V) is primarily responsible for sensory information from the face and motor control of the muscles of mastication (chewing). It does not carry taste sensations. Instead, it is involved in sensation (e.g., touch, pain, temperature) of the face and mouth, but not taste.
B. The vagus nerve (CN X) has various functions, including parasympathetic control of the heart, lungs, and digestive tract, and sensory and motor functions in the throat and voice box. It does contribute to taste sensation in the region of the pharynx and the epiglottis, but it is not primarily responsible for the taste sensation on the posterior third of the tongue.
C. The glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX) is responsible for taste sensation on the posterior one-third of the tongue. It also contributes to the sensory innervation of the pharynx and helps in the regulation of saliva production. This nerve is specifically involved in the taste perception in the back third of the tongue.
D. The facial nerve (CN VII) provides taste sensation to the anterior two-thirds of the tongue. It also controls the muscles of facial expression and contributes to the production of saliva and tears. The facial nerve does not provide taste sensation to the posterior third of the tongue.

A. The obturator sign is used to assess for appendicitis, not meningitis. To perform this test, the patient’s right knee is flexed to 90 degrees, and the nurse rotates the hip internally and externally. Pain during this maneuver can indicate irritation of the obturator muscle, which is associated with inflammation of the appendix.

B. The Brudzinski sign is a clinical test used to assess meningeal irritation. When the patient’s neck is passively flexed while lying supine, a positive Brudzinski sign is indicated if the patient involuntarily flexes their knees and hips in response to neck pain. This sign is often seen in meningitis as a result of irritation of the meninges.
C. The Phalen sign is used to diagnose carpal tunnel syndrome. The patient flexes their wrists and holds the position for a period of time to see if symptoms of numbness or tingling appear in the fingers, which would indicate median nerve compression at the wrist. This sign is unrelated to meningitis.
D. The Tinel sign is also used to diagnose carpal tunnel syndrome and other peripheral nerve issues. It involves tapping on the nerve (such as the median nerve at the wrist) to see if it causes tingling or a “pins and needles” sensation along the nerve’s distribution. Like the Phalen sign, it is not related to meningitis.