Question

Difficulty: MediumHealth Screening

An ambulatory care nurse is reviewing the daily schedule for a family practice clinic to identify clients who require specific health maintenance interventions. Based on current national guidelines, which of the following planned actions represent an appropriate, evidence-based secondary prevention health screening? Select all that apply.

  1. Conducting a standardized autism spectrum disorder evaluation during a twenty-four-month well-child visit.Answer
  2. Utilizing a formal major depressive disorder questionnaire for a fourteen-year-old adolescent.Answer
  3. C
    Performing routine capillary blood lead level testing on an asymptomatic four-month-old infant.
  4. D
    Evaluating distance vision by instructing a two-year-old toddler to identify letters on a wall chart.
  5. E
    Administering the first dose of the human papillomavirus immunization to a twelve-year-old client.

Answer

The appropriate secondary prevention health screenings are conducting a standardized autism spectrum disorder evaluation for a twenty-four-month-old and utilizing a major depressive disorder questionnaire for a fourteen-year-old adolescent.
The correct selections represent established, evidence-based secondary prevention screenings. Universal autism screening is mandated at eighteen and twenty-four months of age. Similarly, annual depression screening is universally recommended starting at age twelve to identify early signs of mental health disorders.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Differentiate between primary and secondary prevention measures in the clinical scenario.
Secondary prevention involves screenings to detect asymptomatic conditions early, whereas primary prevention involves interventions like immunizations to prevent disease occurrence.
The question specifically asks to identify secondary prevention health screenings.
2
Evaluate the cognitive and developmental appropriateness of each proposed screening method.
Using an alphabet wall chart requires cognitive and verbal skills that a two-year-old has not yet developed.
Screening tools must match the client's developmental stage to yield valid results and prevent misinterpretation of normal developmental limitations as deficits.
3
Verify age-specific national guidelines for pediatric screenings.
Autism screening at twenty-four months and depression screening for a fourteen-year-old align with current evidence-based pediatric recommendations, while routine lead screening at four months is premature.
Evidence-based practice dictates specific timelines for universal screenings to maximize detection rates while minimizing unnecessary testing.

Key Concept

Pediatric developmental and health screening guidelines
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