A patient, an 85-year-old woman, is complaining about the fact ...

[Collmarie]

A patient, an 85-year-old woman, is complaining about the fact that the bones in her face have become more noticeable. What explanation should the nurse give her?
 
  a. Diets low in protein and high in carbohydrates may cause enhanced facial bones.
  b. Bones can become more noticeable if the person does not use a dermatologically approved moisturizer.
  c. More noticeable facial bones are probably due to a combination of factors related to aging, such as decreased elasticity, subcutaneous fat, and moisture in her skin.
  d. Facial skin becomes more elastic with age. This increased elasticity causes the skin to be more taught, drawing attention to the facial bones.

Question 2

A mother brings her newborn in for an assessment and asks, Is there something wrong with my baby? His head seems so big. Which statement is true regarding the relative proportions of the head and trunk of the newborn?
 
  a. At birth, the head is one fifth the total length.
  b. Head circumference should be greater than chest circumference at birth.
  c. The head size reaches 90 of its final size when the child is 3 years old.
  d. When the anterior fontanel closes at 2 months, the head will be more proportioned to the body.

[ndhahbi]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: C
The facial bones and orbits appear more prominent in the aging adult, and the facial skin sags, which is attributable to decreased elasticity, decreased subcutaneous fat, and decreased moisture in the skin.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: B
The nurse recognizes that during the fetal period, head growth predominates. Head size is greater than chest circumference at birth, and the head size grows during childhood, reaching 90 of its final size when the child is age 6 years.

[Collmarie]

TYSM

[gcook]

Excellent