You are assessing a client and note a pressure injury on the client’s sacrum. The lesion is a deep depression below the level of skin and into the muscle and there appears to be a spot where the bone is visible. What stage of the pressure injury would you document for this wound?

Choice A reason: Swallowing water tests cranial nerves IX and X, not XI (spinal accessory), which controls trapezius and sternocleidomastoid muscles. Shoulder shrugging tests XI. Misidentifying this risks incorrect neurological assessment, potentially missing deficits in motor function, critical for diagnosing conditions affecting cranial nerve XI in clinical evaluations.

Choice B reason: Saying “light, tight, dynamite” tests cranial nerve XII (hypoglossal) for tongue movement, not XI, which involves shoulder and neck muscles. Assuming this assesses XI misguides neurological evaluation, risking oversight of motor weaknesses, essential for accurate diagnosis and management of cranial nerve-related disorders in patients.

Choice C reason: Identifying a smell tests cranial nerve I (olfactory), not XI, which governs shoulder and neck movements. Misidentifying this risks incorrect cranial nerve assessment, potentially missing motor deficits in XI, critical for diagnosing neurological conditions like nerve injuries or tumors affecting shoulder and neck function.

Choice D reason: Shrugging shoulders and turning the head against resistance tests cranial nerve XI (spinal accessory), assessing trapezius and sternocleidomastoid strength. This ensures accurate neurological evaluation, detecting deficits from nerve damage or lesions, guiding diagnosis and treatment, critical for managing motor function in patients with suspected cranial nerve issues.

Choice A reason: Facial droop is an unexpected neurological finding, often indicating cranial nerve VII (facial nerve) dysfunction, as seen in stroke or Bell’s palsy. It disrupts symmetrical muscle movement, signaling potential brain or nerve pathology. This abnormality requires urgent evaluation to determine underlying causes like ischemia or inflammation.

Choice B reason: Swallowing without coughing is a normal finding, reflecting intact cranial nerves IX and X. Dysphagia or coughing during swallowing would suggest neurological impairment, but this choice indicates expected function, making it a typical result in a neurological assessment of swallowing capability.

Choice C reason: Spontaneous eye opening is a normal finding, indicating intact brainstem and cranial nerve function, particularly cranial nerve III. It is expected in conscious patients and does not suggest neurological dysfunction, unlike failure to open eyes, which could indicate coma or severe impairment.

Choice D reason: Understandable speech is a normal finding, reflecting coordinated function of cranial nerves and brain regions like Broca’s area. Slurred or incoherent speech would be abnormal, but this choice indicates expected neurological performance, not an unexpected outcome in a standard assessment.