Assessing the Abdomen

A woman went to the emergency room for severe abdominal cramping- She was diagnosed with diverticulitis; however, as a precaution, the doctor ordered a CAT scan- The CAT scan revealed a growth on the pancreas, which turned out to be pancreatic cancer-the real cause of the cramping. Because of a high potential for misdiagnosis, determining the precise cause of abdominal pain can be time-consuming and challenging- By analyzing case studies of abnormal abdominal findings, nurses can prepare themselves to better diagnose conditions in the abdomen- In this assignment, you will analyze a SOAP note case study that describes abnormal findings in patients seen in a clinical setting. You will consider what history should be collected from the patients, as well as which physical exams and diagnostic tests should be conducted. You will also formulate a differential diagnosis with several possible conditions-    

Sample Solution