Patient Assessment and Diagnosis Flashcards
7 cards from real CARN practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Patient Assessment and Diagnosis flashcards as text
A nurse is conducting a comprehensive addiction assessment and asks about the patient's first use, age of onset, and escalation pattern. This information primarily helps determine:
Answer: Chronicity, developmental impact, and disease progression
Establishing onset age and use trajectory informs the chronicity of the disorder, developmental consequences, and appropriate treatment intensity.
Which finding during an opioid withdrawal assessment using the COWS scale indicates severe withdrawal and warrants aggressive pharmacological management?
Answer: COWS score of 36 or above
A COWS score of 36 or above indicates severe opioid withdrawal requiring immediate and aggressive treatment intervention.
During intake assessment, a patient reports using alcohol daily to prevent morning shakes. This pattern is best described as:
Answer: Physical dependence with use to avoid withdrawal symptoms
Using alcohol specifically to prevent withdrawal symptoms (shakes) indicates physical dependence and is a key diagnostic criterion for alcohol use disorder.
A nurse assesses a patient for nicotine dependence using the Fagerström Test. The most critical item predicting dependence severity is:
Answer: Whether the patient smokes within 30 minutes of waking
Time to first cigarette after waking is the strongest predictor of nicotine dependence severity on the Fagerström scale.
An assessment reveals that a patient uses substances primarily in social situations and when anxious. This finding suggests the nurse should screen for:
Answer: Co-occurring anxiety disorder and SUD
Situational use linked to anxiety is a classic presentation of self-medication, warranting dual diagnosis screening for anxiety disorders co-occurring with SUD.
When assessing a patient using the DAST-10 (Drug Abuse Screening Test), a score of 6 or higher indicates:
Answer: Substantial drug problems requiring further assessment and intervention
DAST-10 scores of 6–8 indicate substantial drug problems, and scores of 9–10 indicate severe problems, both warranting clinical intervention.
A nurse notes that a patient in alcohol withdrawal is experiencing formication (sensation of insects crawling on the skin). This finding is best classified as:
Answer: A tactile hallucination
Formication is a tactile hallucination involving the sensation of things crawling on or under the skin, distinct from visual or auditory hallucinations.