Question

physical assessment(focused assessment): list specific findings that would evaluate endocrine function. include rationale. for parathyroid hormone and calcitonin?

Answer 1

Parathyroid hormone: when parathyroid hormone(PTH) level increased in the blood it is called hyperparathyroidism, when there is a low level of PTH in the blood called hypoparathyroidism. It causes a calcium level in the blood high or low.
Physical assessment:
cardiovascular: Rales, edema, hypertension, hypotension, irregular heartbeat due to calcium abnormality in the blood that causes congestive health failure.
Abdomen: Epigastric pain, tenderness, flank pain due to calcium deposition in the kidney and pancreatitis due to calcium abnormality.
Skin: Dry skin, brittle hair due to low calcium level in the blood
Neuromuscular: Trousseau sign, Chvostek sign, mood changes due to low calcium level that affects the muscle function and brain function.
calcitonin: when too much or too low calcitonin in the blood it causes thyroid cancer or medullary thyroid cancer, it has the ability to lower the blood calcium level, opposite the action of parathyroid hormone.
Physical assessment:
Lump in the neck, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, difficulty swallowing, pain in the neck and hoarseness of voice due to thyroid enlargement.