Evaluation and Management of Dermatological Disorders

NURS 6541 Week 7 Evaluation and Management of Dermatological Disorders Essay Assignment

Skin disorders can be very challenging for adolescents and children because they often not only impact physical health but also mental and emotional health. Moderate to severe acne, for instance, impacts approximately one in five adolescent patients, and studies show that these patients are more than twice as likely to develop mental health problems than those without acne (Peeples, 2010). Like acne, many other skin disorders such as eczema or roseola also impact pediatric patients emotionally, often resulting in issues with self-confidence for even preschool-age patients. In your role as the advanced practice nurse, you must support these patients and treat the whole patient to improve physical and mental health.

This week you explore differential diagnoses for common skin disorders in pediatric patients. You also examine factors that impact the presentation, treatment, and management of patients with these disorders.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this week, students will:

Analyze common skin disorders in pediatric patients
Assess pediatric patients for skin disorders
Evaluate differential diagnoses for pediatric skin disorders
Analyze treatment and management plans for pediatric patients with skin disorders
Evaluate the impact of patient race, ethnicity, and culture on the presentation of dermatologic disorders
Understand and apply key terms, principles, and concepts related to skin disorders in pediatric patients
Assess pediatric patients with signs of dermatologic disorders

NURS 6541 Week 7 Discussion: Diagnosis and Management of Skin Disorders

Dermatologic disorders can present due to an actual skin problem or as the result of a systemic problem that manifests in the skin. Depending on the type of disorder, the presentation might be unique, making a quick diagnosis possible. However, some disorders have similar presentations in terms of symptoms and appearance, making diagnosis more difficult. Skin color and tone can also contribute to difficulty in diagnosis, making it important to consider cultural variations during assessments. In this Discussion, you examine the following case studies of skin disorders.

Discussion board posting assignments are assigned alphabetically by FIRST NAME to ensure all cases are covered and discussed.

Case Study 1: A-D
Case Study 2: E-J
Case Study 3: K-Q
Case Study 4: R-Z

Case Study 1

An adolescent presents to your office with a complaint of an itchy, red rash that first appeared on his lower legs 1 week ago after he returned from a camping trip. The rash has since spread to the upper legs, trunk, and groin. He denies fever or other systemic symptoms.

Case Study 2

An 8-month-old presents to your office with a rash on both cheeks that has progressively worsened over the last week. Mom first noticed the rash after his 6-month checkup. He has generalized dry skin and rubs at his cheeks often.

Case Study 3

A 24-month-old presents with a red rash that began on his trunk yesterday and has now spread to the face and upper extremities. His grandmother reports that earlier in the week, the toddler had intermittent fevers up to 101.5°F without other symptoms. The fever broke approximately 48 hours ago and the rash began a few hours later.

Case Study 4:

You see a 9-year-old male who presents with a white, scaly patch on the back of his head. There is some alopecia in the area with hair breakage noted at the scalp.

To prepare:

Review the DermNet NZ and Dermnet Skin Disease Atlas websites in this week’s Learning Resources.
Select one of the four case studies of skin disorders. Analyze the skin disorder in the case you selected including lesion type, lesion distribution, color, and any ancillary findings.
Consider 3 differential diagnoses for the skin disorder in the case study you selected. Determine the most likely diagnosis for the patient.
Think about a treatment and management plan for this disorder. Consider appropriate dosages for any recommended treatments.

By Day 3

Post an explanation of the skin disorder in the case study you selected. Include in your explanation the lesion type, lesion distribution, color, and any ancillary findings. Then, present 3 differential diagnoses and explain which is the most likely diagnosis for the patient and why. Finally, explain a treatment and management plan for the patient’s skin disorder, including appropriate dosages for any recommended treatments.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses.

By Day 6

Respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days in both of the ways listed below. Respond to colleagues who selected different case studies than you did.

Explain how the skin disorders in the case studies your colleagues selected might look different in patients of various racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds.
Based on your personal and/or professional experiences, expand on your colleagues’ postings by providing additional insights or different perspectives.

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