69 year old male presents to the emergency department complaining of lower back pain that radiates down both legs. He rates his pain 8 on a scale of 1-10. He states the pain is different than the "everyday pain due to degenerative disk disease." He says he slipped and fell in the bathroom and laid on the floor for over 24 hours until his daughter found him. He has a history of congestive heart failure (CHF). He states he is on "blood pressure meds" and a "water pill".
- Discuss what you would include in your assessment.
- What diagnostic and laboratory testing would you anticipate being ordered and evaluated? Why?