The nurse will assess which part of the body for cyanosis on a light-skinned patient quizlet

Lips

On light-skinned individuals, cyanosis, or grayish blue tone, initially appears in lips, nail beds, earlobes, mucous membranes, palms of the hands, and soles of the feet. It is not as likely on the legs, wrists, or sclera.

Nail beds

Conjunctiva

Buccal mucosa

Changes in skin color may vary from one person to another. The skin color depends on the amount of melanin, carotene, oxyhemoglobin, and reduced hemoglobin present at a particular time. The most reliable areas to assess for erythema, cyanosis, pallor, and jaundice are the sclerae, conjunctivae, nail beds, lips, and the buccal mucosa, as these areas are the least pigmented. The tongue and earlobes are not reliable areas to assess for skin color.

When assessing a 73-year-old female patient, the nurse found wrinkles, sagging breasts, and tenting of the skin, gray hair, and thick, brittle toenails. The nurse knows that what normal changes of aging occur that can cause these changes in the integumentary system?

Decreased activity of apocrine and sebaceous glands, decreased density of hair, and increased keratin in nails

Decreased extracellular water, surface lipids, and sebaceous gland activity, decreased scalp oil, and decreased circulation

Muscle laxity, degeneration of elastic fibers, collagen stiffening, decreased melanin, and decreased peripheral blood supply

Increased capillary fragility and permeability, cumulative androgen effect and decreasing estrogen levels, and decreased circulation

Muscle laxity, degeneration of elastic fibers, collagen stiffening, decreased melanin, and decreased peripheral blood supply

The normal changes of aging include muscle laxity, degeneration of elastic fibers, and collagen stiffening that contribute to the wrinkles, sagging breasts, and tenting of the skin. Decreased melanin and melanocytes in the hair lead to gray hair, and decreased peripheral blood supply leads to thick, brittle nails with diminished growth. Decreased apocrine and sebaceous glands would lead to dry skin with minimal to no perspiration and uneven skin color. Decreased density of hair leads to thinning and loss of hair. Increased keratin in nails leads to longitudinal ridging of the nails. The decreased extracellular water, surface lipids, and sebaceous gland activity lead to dry flaking skin. Decreased scalp oil leads to dry coarse hair and a scaly scalp, and decreased circulation leads to prolonged return of blood to nails on blanching. Increased capillary fragility and permeability in aging leads to bruising. A cumulative androgen effect and decreased estrogen levels lead to facial hirsutism in women and baldness in men. Decreased circulation leads to prolonged return of blood to nails on blanching.

A 30-year-old patient has been diagnosed with hypothyroidism. What should the nurse expect to assess in this patient's integumentary system?

Warm, flushed skin, alopecia, and thin nails

General hyperpigmentation and loss of body hair

Pale skin, pale mucous membranes, hair loss, and nail dystrophy

Cold, dry, pale skin; dry, coarse hair; and brittle, slow growing nails

Cold, dry, pale skin; dry, coarse hair; and brittle, slow growing nails

With hypothyroidism the patient will manifest with cold, dry, pale skin; dry, coarse, brittle hair; and brittle, slow growing nails. With hyperthyroidism the patient will have warm, flushed skin, alopecia with fine soft hair, and thin nails. With Addison's disease the patient will have loss of body hair and generalized hyperpigmentation, especially in folds. With anemia, the patient will display pallor, pale mucous membranes, hair loss, and nail dystrophy.

Ashen or gray color noted in the conjunctiva of the eye, mucous membranes, and nail beds

In dark-skinned individuals, cyanosis may be noted as an ashen or gray color most easily seen in the conjunctiva of the eye, mucous membranes, and nail beds. Reddish, deep brown, purple, and grayish blue skin tones are not signs of cyanosis in dark-skinned individuals. The grayish blue tone noted in nail beds, earlobes, lips, mucous membranes, and so forth indicates cyanosis in light-skinned individuals.

These areas have the least pigmentation.

Cyanosis, pallor, and jaundice all indicate the presence of systemic diseases. The most reliable areas for assessing these signs are nail beds, lips, sclerae, and conjunctivae, because these areas contain the least amount of pigmentation. As a result, changes in color can be easily identified. The nail beds, sclera, and lips are easily accessible; however, that is not a reason for the choice of the area during color assessment. These areas may not have high blood flow or a high amount of sensory receptors.

Which location on a dark

Where should the nurse assess for cyanosis in a client with dark skin quizlet?

Which assessment finding would indicate cyanosis in individuals with dark skin?

Which of the following areas would you assess to check a patient's skin color?