ESSAY: Neurological diagnosis

Using Chapter 15 of your Goolsby and Grubbs text, select one common diagnosis and one less-common diagnosis for the neurologic system. Describe how you would be able to differentiate them from each other in an exam

ANSWER

Neurological Diagnosis

            The most common diagnosis for the neurologic system is headache. The significant frequency of headaches in the general population has resulted in the establishment of the International Headache Society (HIS) classification. The classification is important for the appropriate diagnosis and treatment of headaches (Goolsby & Grubbs, 2019). Broadly categorized, headaches comprise primary (tension, migraine, or cluster) and secondary (trauma, substances, infection, or space-occupying masses). In this case, the common diagnosis of the neurological system is characterized by recurrent headaches. For instance, different red flags such as acute onset, unrelenting headaches, lancinating head pain (Beidel et al., 2014), and severe headaches can be used for neurological examination by checking vital signs.

            On the other hand, the less common diagnosis of the neurologic system is Chiari malformation. Chiari malformation is brainstem malformations (Beidel et al., 2014). Type 1, for instance, is associated with occipital headaches, and it is common among adult population. However, the symptoms for Chiari malformation are transient and vague, and is often confused for another neurological condition (Goolsby & Grubbs, 2019). Type 2 is often diagnosed in children and infants and is associated with the open neural tube and myelomeningocele defects. The diagnosis of neurologic information is less common for Chiari malformation because of the different types of….

            Moreover, there are strategies I would adopt to differentiate headaches from Chiari malformation. For instance, I would first examine the symptoms. The symptoms for headaches, for instance, are varied based on the existing types of headaches (tension, migraine, or cluster), and are also different from the Chiari malformation symptoms, for instance, the general body weakness and extreme fatigue. I would also distinguish the two by examining the diagnostic procedures, which vary based on the types….