Peds, part 41: Musculoskeletal Disorders - Scoliosis

Hi, I'm Cathy with Level Up RN. In this video, I'll be discussing scoliosis. And at the end of the video, I'm going to give you guys a little quiz to test your knowledge of some of the key points I'll be covering, so definitely stay tuned for that. And if you have our Level Up RN pediatric nursing flash cards, pull out your flashcard on scoliosis and follow along with me. Scoliosis is characterized by abnormal lateral curvature of the spine and spinal rotation which results in an S or C-shaped curvature of the spine. Signs and symptoms of scoliosis include asymmetry of the child's shoulder height, scapular shape, or hip height. And because the child has a change in their posture, it may cause their clothes to not lay or fit very well. An Adam's forward bend test can be performed to screen for scoliosis which will show asymmetry of the ribs and/or flanks. And then an instrument called a scoliometer can be used to measure the degree of truncal rotation. Diagnosis of scoliosis would then be confirmed using an X-ray. In terms of treatment of scoliosis, bracing can be used to help slow or stop the curves in the spine from increasing. Braces typically need to be worn at all times except when the patient is showering or swimming. And then it's important to teach the family that a thin T-shirt or tank top should be worn underneath the brace in order to protect the skin.

Surgery is required by some patients which may include a spinal fusion. When caring for a patient following this type of surgery, performing neurologic assessments is definitely going to be important. You also want to turn your patient by log rolling in order to maintain alignment of their spine. And then you'll definitely be administering opioid analgesics on a schedule. All right. It's quiz time, and I've got three questions for you. Question number one. What screening tests for scoliosis involves having the child bend forward at the waist to assess for asymmetry of the ribs and flanks? The answer is an Adam's forward bend test. Question number two. How should the patient protect their skin when wearing a brace for scoliosis? The answer is they should wear a thin T-shirt or tank top underneath the brace. Question number three. What technique should be used to turn the patient over after a spinal surgery? The answer is a log roll technique. All right. That is it for this video. I hope you found it to be helpful. Take care and good luck with studying.