Pediatric Physical Assessment Christina Hernandez RN, MSN

Common considerations  Communication strategies  Identifiers  Questioning of the child or parent  Strategies to gain cooperation  Introductions  Removing distractions  Privacy  Awareness of growth and development milestones

Two Types of Assessment  Primary: ABCS  Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Signs  Signs: Vital signs, abnormal neuro signs, pain, signs of dehydration.  Secondary: PERSON  VS, pain, history & head to toe assessment and inspection  Height, weight & diagnostic data

Pediatric Assessment vs. Adult Assessment  Developmental approach  Order of the exam  Differences in findings in pediatric client  Assessment for congenital anomalies  Documentation of findings  Assistance by the parent present

Data to be collected  Data from birth to current status (the complete history)  Well history  Problem-oriented history  Psychosocial data  Physiologic data  Daily routines, issues that impact daily living

Beginning the assessment  Exam begins with the 1 st mtg  All measurements are taken: wt, ht, head circumference  Should be plotted to obtain the percentile

Review of symptoms  Developmental approach to the exam  Young child: foot to head  Older child: head to toe

Exam techniques  Vary by the age of the child  Build rapport with the family  Develop cultural competence  Involve the child in the interview if age appropriate  Be honest with the child when answering questions  Utilize “careful listening”

Nursing Practice techniques for physical assessment  Inspection  Palpation  Auscultation  Percussion

Normal findings in children  Small, firm, nontender, and shotty lymph nodes may be palpable  Tonsils of varying sizes; often larger in young children  Pupils of equal size, round and reactive to light and accommodation  Pulses in upper and lower extremities; bilaterally symmetric

Terminology for head shape  Normocephalic  Microcephalic  Macrocephalic  Bossing

Physical exam  Skin: perfusion, turgor, color, lesions  Hair: distribution, loss, lice, pubic areas  Head/skull: symmetry, circumference, sutures in infants  Eyes/ears: *red reflex, TM, muscles of the eye, lacrimal glands, conjunctiva

Physical exam, cont.  Lips, tongue, gums, palate, teeth  Neck: movement, nodes, thyroid  Chest: shape, movement, effort, function  AB  Funnel chest  (Pectus excavatum) pigeon chest (pectus carinatum)

Physical exam of dark- skinned children  Erythema: dusky red or violet  Cyanosis: black or dusky  Jaundice: diffusely darker than the child’s normal color

Physical Assessment  Heart sounds: murmurs, apical rate, arrhythmias, blood pressure, and rhythm  Abdomen: shape, bowel sounds, underlying organs  Genitals: Preparation for the exam crucial! Include the anus and rectum, assessment for pubertal development and sexual maturity

Physical Assessment, cont.  Musculo/skeletal system: one and joints, ROM, strength, posture, spinal alignment  Inspection of the limbs  Nervous system: cognition, balance, CN function, language, reflexes

Psychosocial Assessment  H ome environment  E mployment and education  E ating  A ctivities  D rugs (substance use)  S exuality  S uicide/depression  S afety

Suspicions of child abuse/neglect detected during assessment  Dress  Grooming and personal hygiene  Posture and movements  Body image  Speech and communication  Facial characteristics and expressions  Psychologic state

Concluding the exam  What questions should be asked at the end of every interview?

Ask yourself…  What if a 14 year old girl weighs 93 lbs. Would the nurse be concerned?  What if she weighed 110 lbs 6 months earlier?  What if a year earlier she had weighed 105 lbs?

Ask yourself….  A 2 yr old child being seen for well check is resistant to the exam. What techniques would be helpful for the nurse to use with a toddler?

Another challenge….  Kelly, aged 15 months, comes in for a well child check. How would the nurse assess height and weight?

Critical thinking after the exam  Compiling the data  Describing the elements of the health history  Modifying assessments based on ages  Determining the sexual maturity  Recognizing 5 important signs of a serious alteration that require urgent attention

Critical thinking exercise  Leah, 17 years old, is a single mother who brings her 6 month old child to the clinic. Leah has not kept her appointments the last two months. She reports, “I hate to take time off work when she is well but my supervisor said it was important for her to get a checkup; I guess I messed up”

Part II: Medications for the pediatric patient  Small, very accurate dosages  All medications ordered must be calculated by the nurse (and you!)  All weights based on kilograms/milligram

Calculations of the medications  Nurse is responsible for the accurate ADMINISTRATION of the medication  The most accurate ADMINISTRATION is performed by the nurse calculating the dosage before giving to the patient

Let’s calculate  John weighs 8.2 kg. The dr. orders Ampicillin 200 mg. q 6 hrs. (dosage is 25mg/kg) Is this an appropriate amount?  Sarah, age 12 and weighing 44 kg, has a temp of 102. the dr. has ordered tylenol 81 mg q 6 for fever above Is this an appropriate dose for Sarah?

Syringe pump vs. Plum®  How do you make the decision about the type of pump to use?  All meds given IV are administered on a pump  Making the decision….

Let’s Have a Great Rotation!