The client's chief complaint is numbness and tingling in the hands when interviewed by the nurse. The client complains of numbness and tingling in the arms when bending the wrist downward and pressing the backs of the hands together

Question

The nurse would suspect which of the following conditions in this situation? 1. Arthritis of the wrists
2. Carpal tunnel syndrome
3. Crepitus of the wrists
4. Dupuytren's contracture

Answer 1

2
Rationale 1: Arthritis typically causes pain and limitations in movement but not numbness and tingling.
Rationale 2: Carpal tunnel is a condition caused by compression of the median nerve. The test described is called Phalen's test, and when used on individuals with carpal tunnel syndrome, 80 percent experience pain, tingling, and numbness that radiates to the arm, shoulder, neck, or chest within 60 seconds. Another assessment for carpal tunnel syndrome is called Tinel's sign, and is elicited by percussing lightly over the median nerve in each wrist. The test is positive if the client feels numbness, tingling, and pain along the median nerve.
Rationale 3: Crepitus is a grating sound caused by bone fragments in joints and is suggestive of degenerative disease, trauma, or inflammatory conditions.
Rationale 4: Dupuytren's contracture involves inability to extend the fourth and fifth fingers but is a painless, inherited disorder.