HA W10 R2 diagnostic tools for testing the pH of the vaginal secretions
Title HA W10 R2 Prefered Language style English (U.S.)
Type of document Essay Number of pages/words 1 Page Double Spaced (approx 275 words per page)
Subject area Nursing Academic Level Master
Style APA Number of sources/references 2
Order description:
The diagnostic tools that should be used to evaluate the condition of this patient include a saline wet mount and testing the pH of the vaginal secretions. Given the description of symptoms the patient is experiencing, it is likely that she has bacterial vaginosis. With bacterial vaginosis, there is an unpleasant fishy or musty genital odor due to an overgrowth of bacteria in the vagina. This is diagnosed by scanning a saline wet mount for clue cells, doing the whiff test, and testing the vaginal secretions for pH greater than 4.5 (Bickley, 2017). There are three different diagnostic criteria systems used in diagnosing bacterial vaginosis. They are Amsel criteria, Nugent criteria, and Spiegel criteria. The most widely accepted guideline used is Amsel criteria. Using these criteria, three out of the four following must be present: thin/milky discharge, elevated pH 4.5, clue cells on microscopy, and a fishy odor. One study suggests that the use of pH testing and wet mount was the least expensive and most effective at diagnosing bacterial vaginosis (Armstrong & Weisz, 2016). The scenario mentioned that the patient has one sexual partner and she treated herself for a yeast infection a year ago. This may have caused a disruption in her normal vaginal flora, leading to bacterial vaginosis.
References
Armstrong, E.., & Weisz, D. (2016). Diagnostic and treatment strategies for vaginitis: A literature review. Journal of Doctoral Nursing Practice, 9(1), 139-144. doi:http://dx.doi.org.prx-herzing.lirn.net/10.1891/2380-9418.9.1.139
Bickley, L. S. (2017). Bates’ Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking, 12th Edition. [Bookshelf Online]. Retrieved from https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781496354709/
**PROVIDE RESPONSE WRITING WITH REFERENCES. ALL REFERENCES MUST BE IN APA FORAMT AND WITHIN THE LAST 5 YEARS OF PUBLICATION.
