ST Thomas University Health Assessment Allergic Patient Discussion

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Nov 12, 2020 at 17:33

Case Study # 2

In the case of a 25-year old Hispanic female patient suffering from a runny rose for approximately 12 days as a clinician, I would conduct both subjective and objective assessment. The subjective assessment will help in getting the personal opinions of the patient regarding her case. The possible subjective data I would obtain in her case will whether she is experiencing a throat clearing, frequent sniffling, persistent mouth breathing, she has allergic shiners,  traverse nasal crease, etc. (Akhouri & House, 2019).  On the other hand, having completed conducting a physical examination, the next move will entail conducting an objective assessment. Objective assessment will help in generated observable and measurable data that gets collected via examination, observation, laboratory, and diagnostic testing.  The laboratory tests will be conducted to get the blood sample to find the possibility of infection. Objective data, in this case, will be blood tests, red eyes, fatigue, swollen bowel, a heart condition, skin tests, etc.

There are possible diagnostic exams that will be conducted in this case.  The diagnostic exams will be categorized into three categories, namely: medical & physical history, physical exam, and tests.  Having conducted the subjective and objective assessment, the possible task of testing the cause of a runny nose will involve conducting the following tests. The possible diagnostic tests are skin prick tests, blood tests, intradermal skin tests, blood tests, patch tests, and physician-supervised challenges tests (Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, n.d.). The named tests will aid in coming to a conclusion on the possible cause of the runny nose during the spring period.  In this case, I will rely on the skin prick tests and blood tests to get the results but if I am not satisfied with the results I would employ other tests.

There are differential diagnoses for the runny nose, namely: allergic rhinitis, vasomotor rhinitis, and rhinosinusitis. The first differential diagnosis is allergic rhinitis. It is a condition that results in the nose’s inflammation, and it is experienced as a result of allergens present in the air. Akhouri & House (2019), the possible signs and symptoms of allergic are watery eyes, runny nose, difficulty in breathing (using the mouth to breathe), etc. Based on the presented symptoms a patient may be suffering from allergic rhinitis.

The second differential diagnosis is a condition that leads to congestion, chronic sneezing, and a stuffy nose. This condition affects both adults and children, and it is more common after a person is above 20 years old. Greiwe & Bernstein (2019), state it is triggered by changes in weather, irritants in the air, specific odors, certain foods, etc.  Thus, a patient may be a victim of vasomotor rhinitis based on the common signs and symptoms.

The third differential diagnosis is rhinosinusitis.   It is a health condition that is characterized by swelling of the sinuses, and it led to nasal congestion or obstruction (Greiwe & Bernstein, 2019). The common signs and symptoms of rhinosinusitis are cough, post-nasal drip, reduced taste and smell, sore throat, nasal inflammation, nasal obstruction, etc. The possible signs may be examined to figure out if the patient is a victim of rhinosinusitis. With help of diagnostic exams will help in determining if the patient is experiencing the possible differential diagnoses put into consideration to examine the cause of runny nose and difficulty in breathing.

References

Akhouri, S., & House, S. A. (2019). Allergic Rhinitis.

Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. (n.d.). Allergy Diagnosis.Retrieved from https://www.aafa.org/allergy-diagnosis/.

Greiwe, J. C., & Bernstein, J. A. (2019). Allergic and mixed rhinitis: diagnosis and natural evolution. Journal of clinical medicine, 8(11).