Week 4 Discussion

P.A. is a 72-year-old woman who presents to the family practice with her 40-year-old daughter. The daughter states that her mother has been confused lately and is complaining of a headache, shortness of breath, and a cough. The cough has been persistent for 6 days, and a fever developed 2 days ago. The patient states that she is bringing up yellow-green mucus and has a cough, which gets worse at night. Vital signs are T 100.5, P 88, R 16, and BP 110/55. Lungs are positive bilaterally for wheezing, positive egophony. A chest x-ray examination reveals consolidation indicative of bacterial pneumonia. Labs and culture results are pending for specific antigen. The nurse proceeds with the physical examination of the head, face, neck, and associated lymphatic system.

Question 1

When performing a review of systems, the nurse obtains subjective data concerning the patient’s headache. What specific questions will assist the nurse in determining the cause of the headache?

Question 2

The nurse proceeds to palpate the lymph nodes. Which lymph nodes are located in the neck?

Question 3

When performing the physical examination, what objective data should the nurse inspect and palpate for the head and neck?

Question 4

How might the physical examination vary given the patient’s age?

**Please be sure to include 2 references  in APA format within the last 5 years and respond to at least 2 participating classmates, with a substantial descriptive answer.**