The nurse is testing the deep tendon reflexes of a 30-year-old woman who is in the clinic for an annual physical examination.When striking the Achilles and quadriceps,the nurse is unable to elicit a reflex.The nurse's next response should be to:

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Sometimes the reflex response fails to appear.It is too soon to document this as "absent" reflexes.Try further encouragement of relaxation,varying the person's position or increasing the strength of the blow.Reinforcement is another technique to relax the muscles and enhance the response.Ask the person to perform an isometric exercise in a muscle group somewhat away from the one being tested.For example,to enhance a patellar reflex,ask the person to lock the fingers together and "pull."

The Nurse Is Testing the Deep Tendon Reflexes of a 30-Year-Old