Upper Respiratory Symptom Analysis

Upper Respiratory Case Study
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Upper Respiratory Case Study
What other questions would you like to ask the patient before completing the symptom analysis?
Asking questions to establish the patient’s prior medical history is fundamental for understanding whether they have any chronic health conditions requiring consideration during diagnosis and treatments. Such diseases can trigger symptoms that overlap with emerging illnesses, making their awareness necessary for accurate diagnosis. Moreover, their prescriptions would significantly influence the treatment protocols embraced to avert drug-drug interactions. In this context, it would be critical to ask the patient about his surgical and medical history and any current medication, including over-the-counter ones and supplements. The other query would be about known allergies and their alcohol, smoking, and drug histories. This information has a significant impact on the care process
What portions of the H&P would be most important at this time?
Since the patient presents acutely ill with achiness, fever, nasal congestion, cough, and sinus pressure, an astute healthcare provider must identify the cardinal symptoms in the history and physical examination since they are the most important. According to DeBoer and Kwon (2022), the patient’s symptoms resemble signs commonplace in acute rhinosinusitis. In this context, facial or sinus pressure, nasal obstruction, and cough are essential. They provide a direction toward the probable cause of the illness for the patient and inform the diagnostic tests a clinician should recommend.
What findings do you, the NP, expect to find on an exam?
Although one can rely on clinical diagnosis, additional tests for distinguishing and improving the specificity may inform the process. For instance, Hsu et al. (2018) indicate that a nasal endoscopy exam would assist one in identifying specific microbiological information. Moreover, a CT scan would show the presence of inflammation and opacification to determine the level of erosion (DeBoer & Kwon, 2022). A routine exam would also disclose a fever higher than 102 F or 39 C and worsening symptoms after recovery, demonstrating the presence of sinusitis.
List 4 potential differential diagnoses with rationale.
Ciliary function disorders. This differen...