Neurological Assessment

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I choose the 50 year old woman admitted with chief compliant of headaches and decrease in range of motion in her neck. Also, noted with complaints of vertigo, hearing loss in one ear, profuse sweating and uncontrollable eye movement. The woman was involved in motor vehicle accident three days before her admission. First, I would perform a neurological assessment on the patient due to the signs and symptoms reported from the patient and considering the patient was involved in a motor cycle accident three days ago. When performing the neurological assessment, I would establish a base line of her mental status. I would note her level of alertness and how the patient response when commands are given to her such as: can you squeeze my hands or push…show more content…
I would ask the patient “Can you tell me what day of the week it is?” In addition to asking the patient, “do you know where you currently are?” After performing this part of the assessment, I would proceed to using my pen light to assess the patient pupil size, shape, reactive light and accommodation. I would then instruct the patient to smile and open and close her eyes; this is done to test the patient facial strength. After checking the patient facial strength, I would instruct the patient to close her eyes again, using a cotton swab, I would rub on the patient bilateral legs and assess for sensation. Using a percussion hammer, I would assess the patient reflexes in bilateral arms, patellar and Achilles. Finally, as part of the neurological assessment, I would test the patient range of motion in her neck and bilateral arms and legs. The patient reports decrease in range in motion in her neck. “The lack of full movement may accompany the neck pain of cervical strain, but isolated neck stiffness is most often due to degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine” (South University, 2013, p.1). Considering the patient was involved in motor vehicle accident three days ago, the neck pain could be as a result of

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