A patient comes to the emergency department complaining of right knee pain after being knocked down ...

A patient comes to the emergency department complaining of right knee pain after being knocked down while playing basketball.
 
  The exam reveals the patient experiences difficulty when stepping down on the right leg due to acute pain around the knee and slight swelling of the right knee. What should the nurse expect to be prescribed for this patient?
 
  1. The patient will be sent home with instructions to use ice for one week.
  2. The patient will be admitted to the hospital and seen by an orthopedic specialist.
  3. The patient will be scheduled to see an orthopedic physician and a tentative appointment for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.
  4. The patient will be admitted to the hospital and scheduled for exploratory surgery.

Question 2

A patient is seen in the clinic complaining of pain in the left wrist. There is no deformity of the wrist, the left radial pulse is strong, and there is no history of a fall or injury. What does the nurse expect to see ordered?
 
  1. an x-ray of both arms to ensure there is no injury present
  2. rest and comfort measures for several days unless pain worsens
  3. lab work to assess calcium and phosphorus levels
  4. a computerized tomography (CT) scan of the wrist to check for soft tissue injury

Question 3

A patient is having a creatine kinase (CK) level drawn. For which health problem would the nurse expect this level to be elevated?
 
  1. juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
  2. gout
  3. muscle disease
  4. bone tumors

Question 4

The nurse is caring for a patient with a musculoskeletal disorder. For which reason does the nurse suspect the patient's alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is being assessed?
 
  1. to establish true calcium levels
  2. to evaluate the presence of bone diseases
  3. to determine phosphorus levels
  4. to diagnose muscle trauma

Question 5

A patient is seen in the physician's office following several tests. The test results include elevated blood calcium, elevated alkaline phosphatase, elevated phosphorus, normal creatine kinase, and increased uptake of the radioisotope on bone scan.
 
  The nurse realizes that the patient most likely is experiencing which health problem?
 
  1. bone spurs
  2. rheumatoid arthritis
  3. osteoporosis
  4. bone cancer

Question 6

The nurse is caring for an older patient. What should the nurse realize is an expected age-related change in this patient's musculoskeletal system?
 
  1. difficulty with dexterity after age 50
  2. vertebrae lengthening and thinning, which leads to increased bone production
  3. decreased bone mass and calcium absorption, which increase risk for fractures
  4. pain when ambulating due to increased bone mass and minerals