When assessing red eyes, feel for pre-auricular lymph node enlargement. The presence of pre-auricular lymphadenopathy is usually indicative of viral conjunctivitis, not bacterial conjunctivitis. — Robert Mitchelson, PA, Maricopa, Ariz. (188-7) These are letters from practitioners around the country who want to share their clinical problems and successes, observations and pearls with their colleagues. We…
To painlessly remove a foreign body from the nose, obtain an infant Foley catheter and apply K-Y Jelly. Insert into the nose beyond the foreign body. Blow up the balloon at the tip and gently pull out. Generally, the balloon will remove the foreign body as the balloon is pulled out. — Sally Kreger, APRN,…
When providing a written management plan for patients with chronic disease, place the plan in the patient’s hands. It should be in a larger font, with treatment changes or updates bulleted by chronic disease. When you review the plan with the patient, don’t ask, “Do you understand?” Instead, say, “To make sure that I have…
Begin to impart asthma information to young patients and/or their caregivers as early as possible.
A woman suffers cyclic pain after multiple abdominal and pelvic surgeries.
The prevalence of hypertension is increasing, especially in my home state of Mississippi. One problem with hypertension is the absence of symptoms. Individuals in rural areas experience many difficulties in accessing health-care services, so what I am doing in my practice is prescribing self-monitoring of blood pressure, either with a home device or through a…
When interviewing parents and adolescents about sports participation, it is important to get a thorough history of possible concussive events. Many parents will report, “Oh, he/she hit her head but didn’t black out. It’s important to educate them to the signs of concussion: loss of consciousness (LOC); alteration of consciousness (AOC), including dizziness, seeing stars,…
A man tells the orthopedics clinic staff about odd sensations in his hand a week after a car accident.
What is an easy way to distinguish between shin splints and a stress fracture? Use a tuning fork. The vibration will cause bone pain in the presence of a stress fracture. — Christina Kurkowski, MS, RN, ONC, CNOR, ANP-C, ONP-C, Wausau, Wis. (188-5) These are letters from practitioners around the country who want to share their…
The main reasons given for using dietary supplements were “for overall health and wellness” and “to fill nutrient gaps in the diet.”
