Assignment task: Skin, Eye, & Ear Disorders
For this Discussion, you will take on the role of a clinician who is building a health history for one of the following cases. Your instructor will assign you your case number.
Chief Complaint (CC): A 57-year-old man presents to the office with a complaint of left ear drainage since this morning.
Subjective: Patient stated he was having pulsating pain on left ear for about 3 days. After the ear drainage the pain has gotten a little better.
Objective Data:
VS: (T) 99.8°F; (RR) 14; (HR) 72; (BP) 138/90
General: well-developed, healthy male
HEENT:
- EAR: (R) external ear normal, canal without erythema or exudate, little bit of cerumen noted, TM- pearly grey, intact with light reflex and bony landmarks present; (L) external ear normal, canal with white exudate and crusting, no visualization of tympanic membrane or bony landmarks, no light reflex
- EYE: bilateral anicteric conjunctiva, (PERRLA), EOM intact.
- NOSE: nares are patent with no tissue edema.
- THROAT: no lesions noted, oropharynx moderately erythematous with no postnasal drip.
Skin: No rashes
Neck/Throat: no neck swelling or tenderness with palpation; neck is supple; no JVD; thyroid is not enlarged; trachea midline
1. What other subjective data would you obtain?
2. What other objective findings would you look for?
3. What diagnostic exams do you want to order?
4. Name 3 differential diagnoses based on this patient presenting symptoms?
5. Give rationales for your each differential diagnosis.
Submission Instructions:
- Your initial post should be at least 500 words, formatted and cited in current APA style with support from at least 2 academic sources.