NUR 634 Topic 6 DQ 1

Discussion: Select one skin, hair, or nail condition or disorder.

NUR 634 Topic 6 DQ 1 Assessment Description

Select one skin, hair, or nail condition or disorder. Then complete the following:

Briefly discuss the condition/disorder.

Describe the symptoms and physical exam findings associated with the condition/disorder.

Identify appropriate laboratory, imaging, and other diagnostic/screening tools that apply to the disorder and explain how they will help you with your diagnosis.

List two other conditions that could cause a similar presentation (differential diagnoses) and explain how you would “rule out” those differentials.

Support your description with a minimum of two APRN-approved scholarly resources. You may not select a condition or disorder that has already been profiled by another learner; you must select a different one.

American Association of Colleges of Nursing Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education

This assignment aligns to AACN Core Competencies 1.2, 1.3.

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NUR 634 Topic 6 DQ 1 Sample

Cellulitis is an acute skin infection involving the skin’s deep dermis and subcutaneous tissues following skin trauma, mainly in the lower limbs. The infection is often an inflammatory and non-necrotizing infection caused mainly by Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus (Rrapi et al., 2021). The risk factors for cellulitis include young and old age, lymphedema, skin breaks, diabetes, obesity, tinea pedis, congestive heart failure, venous insufficiency, and immunodeficiency. The risk factors predispose persons to deficiencies in skin integrity, immunity, and vasculature that favor bacterial growth due to impaired wound healing.

Patients with cellulitis often present with redness, hotness, swelling, and pain in the area affected following trauma. However, in most diabetic patients, underlying tissue necrosis may occur, resulting in a rare phenomenon called necrotizing cellulitis, characterized by skin darkening (Bystritsky, 2021). NUR 634 Topic 6 DQ 1 Spread of the infection through the vascular system may also result in systemic symptoms such as fever, chills, myalgia, and malaise. Physical exam findings include swelling, erythema, tenderness, and warmth in the area affected in an afebrile patient (Newton, 2024). Additionally, an ulcer with draining pus and signs of trauma or eczema may be present at the portal of entry of the bacteria. Tachycardia, tachypnea, fever, and necrotizing bullae may be present in severe cellulitis.

Diagnosis for cellulitis requires both laboratory and imaging tests. Common laboratory tests, including blood and pus microscopy, culture, and sensitivity, are crucial in identifying causative agents. NUR 634 Topic 6 DQ 1 The additional tests include a complete blood count and C-reactive protein (CRP) that may reveal leukocytosis and elevated CRP. In severe cellulitis, liver and renal function tests may be crucial in evaluating organ function. On the other hand, ultrasound and computerized tomography (CT) are also used to diagnose and direct care.

Two common differential diagnoses for cellulitis include necrotizing fasciitis (NF) and deep venous thrombosis (DVT). A CT is crucial in differentiating NF from cellulitis, where the scan can help identify the number and extent of tissues affected (Newton, 2024). On the other hand, an ultrasound is crucial in differentiating DVT and cellulitis, where the presence of clots and stasis in veins is diagnostic for DVT.

NUR 634 Topic 6 DQ 1 References

Bystritsky R. J. (2021). Cellulitis. Infectious Disease Clinics of North America, 35(1), 49–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.idc.2020.10.002

Newton H. (2024). Diagnosing, assessing, and managing cellulitis. Nursing Standard (Royal College of Nursing (Great Britain): 1987), 39(2), 39–44. https://doi.org/10.7748/ns.2023.e12187

Rrapi, R., Chand, S., & Kroshinsky, D. (2021). Cellulitis: A Review of Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Management. The Medical Clinics of North America, 105(4), 723–735. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mcna.2021.04.009 NUR 634 Topic 6 DQ 1