Post-OP Head to toe (pediatric patient)

[WannaBeNrse]

Hi,

we have to make little scenario-videos for my lab class, and my scenario is a head-to-toe assessment on a 7-year old girl who had an appendectomy the previous day. Is there anything specific to pediatric patients that needs to be considered, other than explaining things to mom/dad? Do appy patients usually have a catheter? They probably have IV's, right? What do I have to include in the head-to-toe.... vital signs, bowel sounds, lung sounds, incision, tubes/drains, pain.....? This scenario just seems so broad that I am not quite sure....?

Thanks!

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

just a note. . .keep focus on the fact that the 7-year old girl who had an appendectomy is the patient and not the parents. the parents are her caregivers. if there is teaching it will be teaching of the caregivers. focus on the problems of the 7-year old girl--that is what care planning and problem-solving is about. don't forget to include something about her developmental stage or her stage on erickson's because that will affect the way the child behaves.

• http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/stomach/appendicitis.html - appendicitis
  
• http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/933825-overview - appendicitis: surgical perspective [pediatrics]
  
• http://www.surgeryencyclopedia.com/a-ce/appendectomy.html - appendectomy
  
• http://kidshealth.org/kid/feel_better/places/hospital.html?tracking=k_relatedarticle - for kids: going to the hospital
  
• http://www.columbia.edu/itc/hs/medic.../pe_video.html - video on doing a pediatric exam
  
• head-to-toe exam
  
  • how to perform a head-to-toe assessment
    
  • http://www.delmarlearning.com/companions/content/0766822257/apps/appb3.pdf - example of a head to toe assessment
    
  • http://free-ed.net/sweethaven/medtech/nursefund/default.asp?inum=3&franum=060105 - components of a physical assessment
    
  • http://nursing.uthscsa.edu/diagnostic_basic_head-toe_6307.htm - basic head-to-toe physical examination
    
  • http://faculty.weber.edu/jkelly/nursing_3030.htm - health assessment (overview of health assessment, health history, nutritional / skin / hair / nails, ent / head & neck, neurological assessment, thorax / lungs / abdomen, heart / neck vessels / peripheral vasculature, musculoskeletal system, breasts / regional lymphatics / gu, integration of systems, critical thinking, pediatric populations (includes pediatric assessment by age groups), adolescent patients, and emergent assessments (emergency assessment and care)
    
  • http://www.healthmad.com/home-health/general-health-assessment.28952
    
  • http://www.medtrng.com/blackboard/basic_nursing_assessment.htm
    

  [*]assessing pain in children http://www.eperc.mcw.edu/fastfact/ff_117.htm

  [*]http://www.mdanderson.org/pdf/pted_painscale_faces.pdf - wong-baker faces pain rating scale

there are pediatric weblinks, many that include developmental milestones on this thread: https://allnurses.com/nursing-student-assistance/medical-disease-information-258109.html - medical disease information/treatment/procedures/test reference websites. a good site that includes info on the older aged kids is http://www.kidsgrowth.com/.