While assessing a patient, the nurse notes an irregularity that has been observed in other patients, but on an inconsistent basis. What did the nurse most likely discover in this patient?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

An irregularity that is observed inconsistently in other patients is likely to be a polymorphism, which is a variation in a gene that is present in a population at a frequency of at least 1%. Polymorphisms do not usually lead to disease or adverse effects, but they can affect the way that drugs are metabolized or other physiological processes. Mutations, on the other hand, are permanent changes in the DNA sequence and can have more significant effects on health. Single-gene inheritance patterns and X-linked inheritance patterns refer to the way that genetic traits are inherited within families and do not necessarily indicate an irregularity or abnormality.

While Assessing a Patient, the Nurse Notes an Irregularity That