Question

critical thinking lab

1. Dixon is a 43-year-old man with a family history of colon cancer. The physician has suggested that he perform a fecal occult blood test. However, when you discuss it with him he tells you that he is not interested because “there is nothing that can be done about colon cancer anyway.” He is referring to the fact that his father and his brother died of the disease. What should you say to him?

2. Jeffrey is a 15-year-old boy who has been coming to your office for 5 years. At his yearly physical, you tell him that it is important that he perform a monthly testicular self-examination. When you attempt to explain to him how to perform the examination, he becomes embarrassed and does not appear to be listening to your instructions. What should you do?

3. The physician in your medical office suspects that Chang might have a peptic ulcer, and he orders an upper GI series. You are telling Chang how to prepare for this test when he tells you that he does not want to receive it because he fears the radiation that is used in this test. What should you say to convince him to follow the doctor’s orders?

4. Lee has been suffering from severe headaches, and the physician orders an MRI to help in the diagnosis. She confesses to you that she is slightly claustrophobic and does not think that she can go through with the test. What should you tell her?

Answer 1

1. Dixon thinks that colon cancer is incurable because of his father's and brother's death with that disease. I will tell him that colon cancer is a curable and highly treatable disease if diagnosed at an early stage. A faecal occult blood test can detect colon cancer. It is very essential for him to the test, especially because his loved ones died of colon cancer.

2. It is important to do a monthly testicular self-examination. Jeffrey is a teenage boy and that is the thing he became embarrassed when speaking about testicle examination. But I will convince him that testicular examination is essential to find out any changes in the size, shape or any irregularities of testicles, if there it may the warnings of testicular cancer.

3. I think Chang fears the side effects of radiation and may think that it will affect his skin. But I will convince him that radiation is the best method to cure peptic ulcer and it is not dangerous to use the radiation. Even though there are some side effects with the radiation, it gets better a few weeks after treatment ends.

4. Claustrophobia is a form of anxiety disorder and the patient may go panic during an MRI scan because of the insertion of the head to the MRI machine. I will convince Lee that there is nothing to worry, the new wide bore and open upright MRI scan machines can help you. You will not feel that your head is going inside something with these machines and are lots more comfortable to use.