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    Ati physical assessment proctored exam

    A nurse is assessing the eyes of a patient and notes the pupils are unequal in size. Which term is appropriate to document?

    Explanation & Rationale

    A) Ptosis: Ptosis refers to the drooping of the upper eyelid, often caused by muscle weakness or nerve damage. It does not describe the condition of unequal pupil sizes, which is the issue in the question. Ptosis affects eyelid position, not the pupil size. B) Strabismus: Strabismus refers to the misalignment of the eyes, where they do not look in the same direction. This condition can cause one eye to turn inward, outward, upward, or downward, but it does not relate to unequal pupil size. Strabismus is a misalignment issue rather than a size discrepancy of the pupils. C) Exophthalmos: Exophthalmos refers to the protrusion of the eyeballs, which can occur in conditions like Graves' disease. It does not pertain to unequal pupil sizes, but rather to the positioning of the eyes themselves. D) Anisocoria: Anisocoria is the term used to describe a condition in which the pupils are unequal in size. This condition can be physiological (normal for some individuals) or pathological, and it can result from various causes such as neurological issues, trauma, or certain medications. This is the appropriate term to document when noting unequal pupil sizes.

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