i-Human Case Study: 16-Year-Old Male with Right Hand Pain – Complete Diagnosis, SOAP Note, & Conservative Treatment Plan | Walden University NRNP

This comprehensive i-Human case study examines a 16-year-old male presenting with a 5-day history of right hand pain localized near the thumb, exacerbated by basketball and gripping activities. It provides a full clinical workup including patient profile, detailed History of Present Illness (HPI), Past Medical History, Review of Systems (ROS), and focused Musculoskeletal and Neurological Physical Examination findings such as tenderness over the first metacarpal and pain with thumb opposition. The case guides learners through key Diagnostic Studies, specifically a right hand X-ray ruling out fracture, to arrive at a Primary Diagnosis of a soft-tissue overuse injury (strain/tendonitis) and explores Differential Diagnoses like De Quervain tenosynovitis and thumb sprain. It concludes with an evidence-based, conservative Treatment Plan featuring ibuprofen PRN, RICE protocol (Rest, Ice), thumb spica splint immobilization, activity modification, and structured Follow-Up, all summarized in a complete SOAP Note format. Designed for Walden University's NRNP 6512 class (2026), this case is an essential resource for nurse practitioner and PA students mastering adolescent sports injury assessment, diagnostic reasoning, and non-surgical management in a primary care or urgent care setting.