Diagnostic Tests for Sydenham chorea
Sydenham chorea Tests: Book Excerpts
Home Diagnostic Testing
These home medical tests may be relevant to Sydenham chorea:
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Sydenham chorea Diagnosis: Book Excerpts
Diagnostic Tests for Sydenham chorea: Online Medical Books
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for more information about the diagnostic tests for Sydenham chorea.
Chorea [Choreiform movements]:
History and physical examination
(Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition))
Ask the patient and his family when they first noticed the choreiform movements. Do the movements disappear when the patient is asleep? Find out if anyone in the patient’s family exhibits the same type of movements, and ask about a family history of such diseases as Huntington’s disease. Also ask which medications the patient is taking. Obtain an occupational history, noting especially prolonged exposure to manganese or other metals. As you obtain the history, observe the patient for excessive restlessness and periodic facial grimaces that may interrupt his speech.
Perform a physical examination to evaluate the severity of the patient’s chorea. Ask him to stick out his tongue and keep it out. Typically, he’ll be unable to do this; instead, his tongue will dart in and out of his mouth. Observe the patient’s arms and legs separately for involuntary jerky movements. Ask him to extend and flex his hand as if halting traffic; the choreiform movements will be extremely evident in this position. Also, check for such related signs as athetosis, rigidity, or tremor.
To assess the patient for choreoathetotic gait, ask him to walk. He may change the position of his trunk and upper body parts with each step and jerk and tilt his head to one side. Because of superimposed involuntary movements and postures, the patient’s legs may move slowly and awkwardly. (An involuntary movement suspending his leg momentarily with each step may give a dancing quality to his gait.)
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition), 2006
Chorea:
Physical assessment
(Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses)
Perform a physical examination to evaluate the severity of the patient’s chorea. Ask him to stick out his tongue and keep it out. Typically, he’ll be unable to do this; instead, his tongue will dart in and out of his mouth. Observe the patient’s arms and legs separately for involuntary jerky movements. Ask him to extend and flex his hand as if halting traffic, and note the choreiform movements — they’ll be extremely evident in this position. Also, check for such related signs as athetosis, rigidity, or tremor.
To assess the patient for choreoathetotic gait, ask him to walk. He may change the positions of his trunk and upper body parts with each step and jerk and tilt his head to one side. Because of superimposed involuntary movements and postures, the patient’s legs may move slowly and awkwardly. (An involuntary movement suspending his leg momentarily with each step may give a dancing quality to his gait.)
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses, 2007
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