Questions: 19. The nurse is assessing a patient with Parkinson disease. The nurse notes that the patient has resistance to passive movement of the lower extremities with mildly restrictive movement. Which documentation is most appropriate? A. Rigidity B. Cogwheel C. Lead pipe D. Plastic

19. The nurse is assessing a patient with Parkinson disease. The nurse notes that the patient has resistance to passive movement of the lower extremities with mildly restrictive movement. Which documentation is most appropriate?
A. Rigidity
B. Cogwheel
C. Lead pipe
D. Plastic

Transcript text: 19. The nurse is assessing a patient with Parkinson disease. The nurse notes that the patient has resistance to passive movement of the lower extremities with mildly restrictive movement. Which documentation is most appropriate? A. Rigidity B. Cogwheel C. Lead pipe D. Plastic

Solution

The answer is A: Rigidity.

Explanation for each option:

A. Rigidity: This term is used to describe a general increase in muscle tone, leading to resistance to passive movement. In Parkinson's disease, rigidity is a common symptom and can be uniform or variable, but it generally refers to the resistance felt by the examiner when moving a patient's limb. The description of "resistance to passive movement of the lower extremities with mildly restrictive movement" fits the definition of rigidity.

B. Cogwheel: This is a specific type of rigidity seen in Parkinson's disease, characterized by a ratchet-like start-and-stop movement when a limb is moved passively. The question does not mention this ratchet-like quality, so cogwheel rigidity is less likely to be the correct documentation.

C. Lead pipe: This term describes a type of rigidity where there is a constant resistance to passive movement throughout the entire range of motion, similar to bending a lead pipe. The description of "mildly restrictive movement" does not suggest the constant resistance characteristic of lead pipe rigidity.

D. Plastic: This term is not commonly used in the context of describing rigidity in Parkinson's disease. It is not a standard term for documenting the type of resistance described in the question.

In summary, the most appropriate documentation for the described symptom is "rigidity."

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