Case Study Assignment: Assessing the Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Throat

Assignment 1: Case
Study Assignment: Assessing the Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Throat
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Most ear, nose, and throat conditions
that arise in non-critical care settings are minor in nature. However, subtle
symptoms can sometimes escalate into life-threatening conditions that require
prompt assessment and treatment.
Nurses conducting assessments of the
ears, nose, and throat must be able to identify the small differences between
life-threatening conditions and benign ones. For instance, if a patient with a
sore throat and a runny nose also has inflamed lymph nodes, the inflammation is
probably due to the pathogen causing the sore throat rather than a case of
throat cancer. With this knowledge and a sufficient patient health history, a
nurse would not need to escalate the assessment to a biopsy or an MRI of the
lymph nodes but would probably perform a simple strep test.
In this Case Study Assignment, you
consider case studies of abnormal findings from patients in a clinical setting.
You determine what history should be collected from the patients, what physical
exams and diagnostic tests should be conducted, and formulate a differential
diagnosis with several possible conditions.
To Prepare

By Day 1 of this week, you will be assigned to a
specific case study for this Case Study Assignment. Please see the “Course
Announcements” section of the classroom for your assignment from your
Instructor.
Also, your Case Study Assignment should be in the
Episodic/Focused SOAP Note format rather than the traditional narrative
style format. Refer to Chapter 2 of the Sullivan text and the
Episodic/Focused SOAP Template in the Week 5 Learning Resources for
guidance. Remember that all Episodic/Focused SOAP Notes have specific data
included in every patient case.
With regard to the case study you were assigned:
Review this week’s Learning Resources and consider the
insights they provide.
Consider what history would be necessary to collect
from the patient.
Consider what physical exams and diagnostic tests would
be appropriate to gather more information about the patient’s condition.
How would the results be used to make a diagnosis?
Identify at least five possible conditions that
may be considered in a differential diagnosis for the patient.
The Assignment
Use the Episodic/Focused SOAP Template and
create an episodic/focused note about the patient in the case study to which
you were assigned using the episodic/focused note template provided in the Week
5 resources. Provide evidence from the literature to support diagnostic tests
that would be appropriate for each case. List five different possible
conditions for the patient’s differential diagnosis and justify why you
selected each.

Nurses conducting assessments of the
ears, nose, and throat must be able to identify the small differences between
life-threatening conditions and benign ones. For instance, if a patient with a
sore throat and a runny nose also has inflamed lymph nodes, the inflammation is
probably due to the pathogen causing the sore throat rather than a case of
throat cancer. With this knowledge and a sufficient patient health history, a
nurse would not need to escalate the assessment to a biopsy or an MRI of the
lymph nodes but would probably perform a simple strep test.
In this Case Study Assignment, you
consider case studies of abnormal findings from patients in a clinical setting.
You determine what history should be collected from the patients, what physical
exams and diagnostic tests should be conducted, and formulate a differential
diagnosis with several possible conditions.
To Prepare

By Day 1 of this week, you will be assigned to a
specific case study for this Case Study Assignment. Please see the “Course
Announcements” section of the classroom for your assignment from your
Instructor.
Also, your Case Study Assignment should be in the
Episodic/Focused SOAP Note format rather than the traditional narrative
style format. Refer to Chapter 2 of the Sullivan text and the
Episodic/Focused SOAP Template in the Week 5 Learning Resources for
guidance. Remember that all Episodic/Focused SOAP Notes have specific data
included in every patient case.
With regard to the case study you were assigned:
Review this week’s Learning Resources and consider the
insights they provide.
Consider what history would be necessary to collect
from the patient.
Consider what physical exams and diagnostic tests would
be appropriate to gather more information about the patient’s condition.
How would the results be used to make a diagnosis?
Identify at least five possible conditions that
may be considered in a differential diagnosis for the patient.

The Assignment
Use the Episodic/Focused SOAP Template and
create an episodic/focused note about the patient in the case study to which
you were assigned using the episodic/focused note template provided in the Week
5 resources. Provide evidence from the literature to support diagnostic tests
that would be appropriate for each case. List five different possible
conditions for the patient’s differential diagnosis and justify why you
selected each.

CASE STUDY 1: Focused Throat Exam

Lily is a 20-year-old student at
the local community college. When some of her friends and classmates told her
about an outbreak of flu-like symptoms sweeping her campus during the past 2
weeks, Lily figured she shouldn’t take her 3-day sore throat lightly. Your
clinic has treated a few cases similar to Lily’s. All the patients reported
decreased appetite, headaches, and pain with swallowing. As Lily recounts these
symptoms to you, you notice that she has a runny nose and a slight hoarseness
in her voice but doesn’t sound congested.

Attention………Remember that your Case Study Assignment should be in
the Episodic/Focused SOAP Note format rather than the traditional narrative style format. Refer
to Chapter
2 of the Sullivan text and the
Episodic/Focused SOAP Template in the Week 5 Learning Resources for guidance. Remember that all Episodic/Focused SOAP Notes
have specific data included in every patient case. Provide evidence
from the literature to support diagnostic tests that would be appropriate for
each case. List five different possible conditions for the patient’s
differential diagnosis and justify why you selected each.

The episodic/focused SOAP format is uploaded.
Please use in text headings following the grading rubric points.
Please use at least 3 peer reviewed resources dated 5 years or less
(2016 – 2021)
Grading Rubric
Using the Episodic/Focused SOAP Template:
· Create documentation or an episodic/focused
note in SOAP format about the patient in the case study to which you were
assigned.

· Provide evidence from the literature
to support diagnostic tests that would be appropriate for your case.
The response clearly, accurately, and
thoroughly follows the SOAP format to document the patient in the assigned case
study. The response thoroughly and accurately provides detailed evidence from
the literature to support diagnostic tests that would be appropriate for the
patient in the assigned case study.
Written Expression and Formatting – Paragraph
Development and Organization:
Paragraphs make clear points that support
well-developed ideas, flow logically, and demonstrate continuity of ideas.
Sentences are carefully focused–neither long and rambling nor short and
lacking substance. A clear and comprehensive purpose statement and introduction
are provided that delineate all required criteria.
Paragraphs and sentences follow writing standards
for flow, continuity, and clarity. A clear and comprehensive purpose statement,
introduction, and conclusion are provided that delineate all required criteria.
Written Expression and Formatting – English
writing standards:
Correct grammar, mechanics, and proper punctuation.
Uses correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation
with no errors.

Written Expression and
Formatting – The paper follows correct APA format for title page, headings,
font, spacing, margins, indentations, page numbers, running heads,
parenthetical/in-text citations, and reference list.

5 (5%) – 5 (5%)
Uses correct APA format with

Uses correct APA format with no errors.

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