CEA Nursing Practice Exam

In a nurse's examination, a patient with sensory complaints in the left hand is most likely experiencing:

1. Numbness and tingling sensations

2. Motor impairment

3. Increased sensitivity

4. Neuropathic pain

The correct answer is: Numbness and tingling sensations

The choice highlighting numbness and tingling sensations aligns well with the presentation of sensory complaints in a patient. These sensations are often indicative of a sensory nerve involvement, typically seen in conditions such as peripheral neuropathy, carpal tunnel syndrome, or even radiculopathy. Numbness and tingling, often referred to as "paresthesia," arise from irritation or damage to sensory nerves, resulting in altered sensory perception. When a patient reports these symptoms, it often suggests an issue with the transmission of sensory information from the peripheral nervous system to the central nervous system. In contrast, the other options focus on different symptoms or conditions. Motor impairment would indicate a problem with the patient's motor function rather than solely sensory complaints. Increased sensitivity refers to heightened sensory response, which may not be the primary descriptor of the patient's experience. Neuropathic pain suggests a unique type of pain that stems from nerve injury, but it does not directly describe the common sensory complaints of numbness and tingling, which are more straightforwardly the result of sensory nerve dysfunction. Thus, the option of numbness and tingling sensations is the most accurate description of the sensory complaints presented by the patient.