Question

A 7 year old child comes to the office for his annual well child visit. He does not have any past medical history. The nurse practitioner uses the snellen chart to measure his visual acuity. The child's vision is 20/40 in both eyes. What does the nurse practitioner document?

a. This is an expected finding at this age. Reassess in one year.
b. This is a concern. Refer to ophthalmologist.
c. This is mildly concerning. Utilize the ishihara chart for further evaluation.
d. This is a concern and the patient needs glasses.

Answer 1

A 7-year-old with 20/40 visual acuity should be referred to an ophthalmologist to determine the need for glasses or investigate any underlying issues, as 20/30 is the expected standard for normal vision at that age.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a child has a visual acuity of 20/40 in both eyes as measured by the Snellen chart, this indicates that the child can see at 20 feet what a person with normal vision can see at 40 feet. Typically, for a 7-year-old, 20/40 vision might be a cause for some concern since the expected standard for normal visual acuity is 20/30 or better for that age. Therefore, the correct documentation by the nurse practitioner would be This is a concern. Refer to ophthalmologist. Early referral to an ophthalmologist can determine if there is a need for glasses, or if there are any underlying issues that need to be addressed.