In conjunction with serum lab values, a physical assessment of the patient as well as information regarding his or her past medical history and psychosocial well-being can better assist the physician in making the correct diagnosis and allow the nurse to provide excellent patient-centered care.
First and foremost, the nurse should obtain the patient’s health history. Questions specific to hypoparathyroidism are listed below:
Health History
Has the patient ever had a form of neck surgery?
Does the patient report having any of the following GI symptoms:
Abdominal pain
Nausea and vomiting
Diarrhea
A lack or loss of appetite
Does the patient state any of the following symptoms of hypocalcemia (symptoms of hypoparathyroidism are primarily those of hypocalcemia [Huether, McCance, Brashers, & Rote, 2008, p. 460])?
Paresthesia (numbness and tingling in the extremities)
Increased anxiety
Headaches
Irritability
Depression
Does the patient report troubles swallowing or throat tightness?
Does the patient report difficulty balancing and/or a history of falls or injuries?
(Sommers, 2011, p. 537).
After collecting the patient’s history, a physical assessment should be performed. Signs to look for specific to hypoparathyroidism are:
Dry skin
Thin hair with patchy areas of hair loss
Ridged fingernails
Teeth in poor condition
Hoarse voice
Unexplained wheezing
Involuntary tremors and/or muscle spasms
Positive Trousseau’s sign (carpal spasm occurs when a blood pressure cuff is inflated above the patient’s systolic pressure for three minutes)
Positive Chvostek’s sign (the patient’s facial muscles twitch when the facial nerve [located anterior to the ear] is tapped).
(Sommers, 2011, p. 538)
Finally, a psychosocial assessment should be performed. Look specifically for these signs and symptoms:
Physical Assessment
In conjunction with serum lab values, a physical assessment of the patient as well as information regarding his or her past medical history and psychosocial well-being can better assist the physician in making the correct diagnosis and allow the nurse to provide excellent patient-centered care.
First and foremost, the nurse should obtain the patient’s health history. Questions specific to hypoparathyroidism are listed below:
- Health History
- Has the patient ever had a form of neck surgery?
- Does the patient report having any of the following GI symptoms:
- Abdominal pain
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhea
- A lack or loss of appetite
- Does the patient state any of the following symptoms of hypocalcemia (symptoms of hypoparathyroidism are primarily those of hypocalcemia [Huether, McCance, Brashers, & Rote, 2008, p. 460])?
- Paresthesia (numbness and tingling in the extremities)
- Increased anxiety
- Headaches
- Irritability
- Depression
- Does the patient report troubles swallowing or throat tightness?
- Does the patient report difficulty balancing and/or a history of falls or injuries?
(Sommers, 2011, p. 537).After collecting the patient’s history, a physical assessment should be performed. Signs to look for specific to hypoparathyroidism are:
- Dry skin
- Thin hair with patchy areas of hair loss
- Ridged fingernails
- Teeth in poor condition
- Hoarse voice
- Unexplained wheezing
- Involuntary tremors and/or muscle spasms
- Positive Trousseau’s sign (carpal spasm occurs when a blood pressure cuff is inflated above the patient’s systolic pressure for three minutes)
- Positive Chvostek’s sign (the patient’s facial muscles twitch when the facial nerve [located anterior to the ear] is tapped).
(Sommers, 2011, p. 538)Finally, a psychosocial assessment should be performed. Look specifically for these signs and symptoms:
- Altered behavior (deviation from normal behavior)
- Irritability
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Inability to cope with symptoms of disease
- Inability to cope with stressors in daily life
(Sommers, 2011, p. 538)By: Stephanie Nimmer