Which of the following assessment findings is most indicative of osteomalacia?
Understand the Problem
The question asks you to identify the assessment finding that is most indicative of osteomalacia, a condition characterized by softening of the bones due to impaired bone metabolism primarily caused by inadequate levels of phosphate, calcium, and vitamin D, or because of resorption of calcium. You need to understand the signs and symptoms associated with osteomalacia to select the correct answer.
Answer
Indications of osteomalacia include bone pain, muscle weakness, bone tenderness, and low levels of vitamin D, calcium, or phosphate.
Assessment findings indicative of osteomalacia include: bone and joint pain, muscle weakness, especially in the proximal muscles, diffuse bone tenderness (particularly in weight-bearing areas), and low levels of vitamin D, calcium, or phosphate.
Answer for screen readers
Assessment findings indicative of osteomalacia include: bone and joint pain, muscle weakness, especially in the proximal muscles, diffuse bone tenderness (particularly in weight-bearing areas), and low levels of vitamin D, calcium, or phosphate.
More Information
Osteomalacia can take 2-3 years to diagnose due to the vagueness of symptoms.
Tips
It is important to consider a combination of symptoms and lab values to diagnose osteomalacia, as individual symptoms can be indicative of other conditions.
Sources
- Osteomalacia - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf - ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Osteomalacia (Soft Bones): Symptoms, Causes, Treatments & Tests - my.clevelandclinic.org
- Clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of osteomalacia in ... - uptodate.com
AI-generated content may contain errors. Please verify critical information
