A nurse is completing the Romberg's test on a patient. Which is the correct technique for conducting this?
Instruct the client to lie on his back and slowly slide his heel down the shin of the opposite leg, from the knee to the ankle.
Instruct the client to walk across the room on his heels and to return walking on his toes.
Have the client stand with feet together, arms at the sides. Begin with eyes open then with eyes closed. Try to maintain position for 20 seconds.
Ask the client to touch the thumb of one hand to each finger on that same hand and then repeat using the other hand.
The Correct Answer is C
Choice A reason: Heel-to-shin tests cerebellar coordination, not balance like Romberg’s. It assesses motor precision, not proprioception or vestibular function, which Romberg’s targets by checking sway with eyes closed, making this technique irrelevant to the intended assessment here.
Choice B reason: Walking on heels and toes evaluates motor strength and coordination, not stationary balance. Romberg’s tests proprioceptive stability, not gait, missing the core focus on vestibular and sensory integration critical to this neurological balance assessment fully.
Choice C reason: Romberg’s test assesses balance by having the client stand, feet together, eyes open then closed for 20 seconds. Sway with eyes closed indicates proprioceptive or vestibular issues, making this the precise, standard technique for this evaluation accurately.
Choice D reason: Finger-to-thumb tests fine motor skills and coordination, not balance. Romberg’s focuses on postural stability via sensory input, not hand dexterity, rendering this action unrelated to assessing the client’s equilibrium as intended in this context completely.
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Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Choice A reason: Rapid ankle oscillations might suggest tremor, possibly basal ganglia issues, not cerebellar dysfunction. The heel-shin test assesses coordination, where cerebellar damage causes drift, not rhythmic shaking, making this less indicative of the target pathology here.
Choice B reason: Heel deviation to one side in the heel-shin test signals cerebellar dysfunction, impairing coordination. The cerebellum fine-tunes movement; damage causes ataxia, leading to inaccurate sliding, making this the key sign of cerebellar issues accurately.
Choice C reason: Pain and knee flexion suggest joint or nerve issues, not cerebellar dysfunction. This test evaluates smooth motion, not pain response; cerebellar problems show ataxia, not discomfort, disconnecting this from the intended motor assessment fully.
Choice D reason: Paresthesia (tingling) indicates sensory nerve issues, not cerebellar motor control. The cerebellum coordinates movement, not sensation; this response misses the coordination focus of the heel-shin test, excluding it as a cerebellar sign here entirely.
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Choice A reason: Prolonged tonsillar enlargement may cause throat issues or obstruction, but rhinorrhea stems from nasal inflammation, not tonsils. This focuses on oropharyngeal anatomy, missing the direct nasal etiology tied to runny nose in upper airway complaints here entirely.
Choice B reason: Allergies trigger nasal inflammation via histamine, causing rhinorrhea as IgE-mediated mast cells release mediators. A history of this is key, directly linking environmental triggers to the client’s runny nose, making it the most relevant assessment area accurately.
Choice C reason: Incomplete immunizations increase infection risk, but rhinorrhea more commonly ties to allergies or viruses than vaccine-preventable diseases here. This is less specific to the symptom’s etiology without fever or systemic signs, reducing its pertinence significantly.
Choice D reason: Epistaxis (nosebleeds) relates to vascular fragility, not mucus production like rhinorrhea. Past bleeding doesn’t explain runny nose, focusing on a separate nasal issue, making it less relevant to the upper airway complaint’s root cause in this case fully.
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