Properly identifying the cause and type of a patient’s skin condition involves a process of elimination known as differential diagnosis. Using this process, a health professional can take a given set of physical abnormalities, vital signs, health assessment findings, and patient descriptions of symptoms, and incrementally narrow them down until one diagnosis is determined as the most likely cause.
In this Lab Assignment, you will examine several visual representations of various skin conditions, describe your observations, and use the techniques of differential diagnosis to determine the most likely condition.
To Prepare
- Choose one skin condition graphic (identify by number 4 in your Chief Complaint) to document your assignment in the SOAP (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, and Plan) note format (Template of SOAP note attached) rather than the traditional narrative style. Refer to Chapter 2 of the Sullivan text and the Comprehensive SOAP Template in this week’s Learning Resources for guidance. Remember that not all comprehensive SOAP data are included in every patient case.
Consider the abnormal physical characteristics you observe in the graphic you selected. How would you describe the characteristics using clinical terminologies? (My choice is Graphic #4. Please, see attached word document to view the picture)
Use clinical terminologies to explain the physical characteristics featured in the graphic(Please, see attached PictureofSkinCondition word document). Formulate a differential diagnosis of three to five possible conditions for the skin graphic that you chose (Conditions that need to be mentioned: Cellulitis, Contact dermatitis, venous stasis dermatitis, Gout, drug allergy). Determine which is most likely to be the correct diagnosis(Cellulitis is the correct diagnosis), and explain your reasoning using at least three different references:
one reference from current evidence-based literature from your search (Please, use the article attached CellulitisMyChoiceArticle: “Applying a Clinical Prediction Rule to Distinguish Lower Extremity Cellulitis from Its Mimics” Lia Pierson Bruner, MD, Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership, Athens, Georgia)
and two different references from this week’s Learning Resources.
Review the Comprehensive SOAP Exemplar found in this week’s Learning Resources (Attached). SOAP note template also attached.
Total attachments: 5
Resources:
Ball, J. W., Dains, J. E., Flynn, J. A., Solomon, B. S., & Stewart, R. W. (2019). Seidel’s guide to physical examination: An interprofessional approach (9th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby.
- Chapter 9, “Skin, Hair, and Nails”
This chapter reviews the basic anatomy and physiology of skin, hair, and nails. The chapter also describes guidelines for proper skin, hair, and nails assessments.
Dains, J. E., Baumann, L. C., & Scheibel, P. (2019). Advanced health assessment and clinical diagnosis in primary care (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby.
Credit Line: Advanced Health Assessment and Clinical Diagnosis in Primary Care, 6th Edition by Dains, J.E., Baumann, L. C., & Scheibel, P. Copyright 2019 by Mosby. Reprinted by permission of Mosby via the Copyright Clearance Center.
Sullivan, D. D. (2019). Guide to clinical documentation (3rd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: F. A. Davis.
- Chapter 2, “The Comprehensive History and Physical Exam” (Previously read in Weeks 1 and 3)
