Question

The nurse is assessing the clear nasal discharge from a patient that sustained head trauma and notes that it is positive to a Dextrostix test. What does the nurse concur from this finding?

a) The patient has sinusitis.
b) The patient has glaucoma.
c) The patient has allergic rhinitis.
d) The patient has cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea.

Answer 1

The nurse concurring that a patient has cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea is based on the presence of glucose in nasal discharge tested by Dextrostix, indicative of a CSF leak due to head trauma. This finding requires prompt medical attention to prevent potential complications such as infections.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a patient with head trauma presents with clear nasal discharge that tests positive on a Dextrostix test, the nurse may conclude that there is a presence of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea. Dextrostix is a testing strip used to detect glucose, and CSF typically contains glucose. Its presence in nasal discharge suggests a CSF leak from the skull into the nasal passages, potentially due to a skull fracture or other injury. Diagnosing a CSF leak is critical as it could lead to infections like meningitis, making timely and accurate identification important for patient outcomes. Treatment for CSF rhinorrhea sometimes involves surgical repair to prevent complications and safeguard the integrity of the central nervous system.

The diagnosis of neurological conditions such as meningitis often relies on the analysis of CSF obtained via a lumbar puncture or spinal tap. In the case of infections like bacterial meningitis, CSF analysis helps in identifying the causative microorganisms and formulating appropriate antibiotic treatment to eliminate bacteria capable of causing the infection, such as Neisseria meningitidis.