NUR 612 Assessment
of Neurologic
Function Case Study
Leah Smith an 87 year
old Patient- University
of New Hampshire
, Case Study, Chapter 65, Assessment of Neurologic Function
1. Leah Smith, an 87-year-old patient, is at the clinic receiving an annual physical checkup. The
patient is wearing a sweater, but complains that the room is cold. The thermostat reads 70°F. The
patient has a slow, wide-based gait, and she is flexed forward slightly when she walks. She opens
her purse and tries to find the bottle of herbals she bought to make sure it is alright to take the
supplement and has problems locating it by feeling for the bottle. She states that she is all
thumbs. She complains that food does not smell or taste like she remembered it smelling and
tasting 10 years ago. She wonders if it is because she used to grow her food and that is why it
had a better taste and smell. She also stated that her family is concerned because she does not
seem to have enough peripheral vision to drive, and she wiped out the mailbox yesterday when
backing out of the driveway. The nurse performs a neurologic exam. (Learning Objective 5)
a. Explain the changes in the patient’s neurologic function that are related to aging
and what risks the patient has related to age-related changes.
b. Because age-related changes have an impact on the neurologic assessment, for what
additional areas should the nurse assess the patient, and what findings reflect normal
aging?
c. What neurologic assessment findings do not change with aging?
2. Joe Carpenter, a 70-year-old patient, presents to the emergency department 4 hours after
experiencing an ischemic brain attack confirmed on the CT of the head without contrast. The
patient is a candidate for intra-arterial thrombolytic therapy to dissolve the blood clot causing the
significant stroke symptoms. The patient is scheduled for the emergent cerebral angiogram with
possible intra-arterial thrombolytic therapy. The nurse provided patient and family education and
received the informed written consent from the patient’s spouse. The patient has IV normal saline
at 100 mL/hr infusing into the right forearm with an 18-gauge angiocath, which is patent.
(Learning Objective 6)
1. What labs should the nurse assess before the procedure and why?
1. What additional preparation should the nurse provide before the patient goes to the
procedure?
Case Study, Chapter 66, Management of Patients With Neurologic Dysfunction
1. Frank Smith is a 42-year-old patient diagnosed with pituitary prolactinoma, a benign tumor
that arises from the pituitary gland, resulting in a decrease in libido and impotence and increased
milk production of the breast. The patient also has complaints of headache and drowsiness and
the presence of visual field changes and papilledema preoperatively. (Learning Objective 6)
a. What postoperative care should the nurse provide the patient?
This study source was downloaded by 100000841221419 from CourseHero.com on 02-06-2022 08:00:22 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/40099163/extra-cred-case-studydocx/
of Neurologic
Function Case Study
Leah Smith an 87 year
old Patient- University
of New Hampshire
, Case Study, Chapter 65, Assessment of Neurologic Function
1. Leah Smith, an 87-year-old patient, is at the clinic receiving an annual physical checkup. The
patient is wearing a sweater, but complains that the room is cold. The thermostat reads 70°F. The
patient has a slow, wide-based gait, and she is flexed forward slightly when she walks. She opens
her purse and tries to find the bottle of herbals she bought to make sure it is alright to take the
supplement and has problems locating it by feeling for the bottle. She states that she is all
thumbs. She complains that food does not smell or taste like she remembered it smelling and
tasting 10 years ago. She wonders if it is because she used to grow her food and that is why it
had a better taste and smell. She also stated that her family is concerned because she does not
seem to have enough peripheral vision to drive, and she wiped out the mailbox yesterday when
backing out of the driveway. The nurse performs a neurologic exam. (Learning Objective 5)
a. Explain the changes in the patient’s neurologic function that are related to aging
and what risks the patient has related to age-related changes.
b. Because age-related changes have an impact on the neurologic assessment, for what
additional areas should the nurse assess the patient, and what findings reflect normal
aging?
c. What neurologic assessment findings do not change with aging?
2. Joe Carpenter, a 70-year-old patient, presents to the emergency department 4 hours after
experiencing an ischemic brain attack confirmed on the CT of the head without contrast. The
patient is a candidate for intra-arterial thrombolytic therapy to dissolve the blood clot causing the
significant stroke symptoms. The patient is scheduled for the emergent cerebral angiogram with
possible intra-arterial thrombolytic therapy. The nurse provided patient and family education and
received the informed written consent from the patient’s spouse. The patient has IV normal saline
at 100 mL/hr infusing into the right forearm with an 18-gauge angiocath, which is patent.
(Learning Objective 6)
1. What labs should the nurse assess before the procedure and why?
1. What additional preparation should the nurse provide before the patient goes to the
procedure?
Case Study, Chapter 66, Management of Patients With Neurologic Dysfunction
1. Frank Smith is a 42-year-old patient diagnosed with pituitary prolactinoma, a benign tumor
that arises from the pituitary gland, resulting in a decrease in libido and impotence and increased
milk production of the breast. The patient also has complaints of headache and drowsiness and
the presence of visual field changes and papilledema preoperatively. (Learning Objective 6)
a. What postoperative care should the nurse provide the patient?
This study source was downloaded by 100000841221419 from CourseHero.com on 02-06-2022 08:00:22 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/40099163/extra-cred-case-studydocx/
