As a patient is walking down the hall, the nurse notices the patient's staggering, unsteady gait. What findings does the nurse anticipate on the neurologic examination?
A) When the patient stands with feet together, eyes open and then closed, an upright posture is maintained.
B) When the patient touches the end of each finger to the thumb of the same hand, a tremor is observed in the fingers.
C) When the patient is giving a history to the nurse, a tremor is noticed as the patient's hands rest in the lap.
D) When lying supine, the patient is able to move the heel of one foot down the shin of the other leg.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Patient B has a cerebellar problem as evidenced by the staggering gait (noted at the beginning of the encounter) and the intention tremor on movement (noted during the examination). Option A is a result of a negative Romberg test. This patient has a cerebellar problem, which would result in a positive Romberg test. Option C describes a tremor at rest that occurs in patients with parkinsonism rather than with cerebellar problems. Option D describes a normal response on an examination of cerebellar function.

As a Patient Is Walking Down the Hall, the Nurse