The patient presents to the emergency department with pain and deformity in her wrist after falling on her outstretched arm. The provider diagnoses the patient with a Colles fracture. How does the nurse interpret this information?

The distal end of the radius is broken. The Colles fracture describes a fracture of the distal radius; it is commonly caused by falling on an outstretched arm. A fracture of the ulna alone most commonly occurs when the forearm is struck by an object (or by the forearm striking an object). It is commonly called a nightstick fracture. A break in the distal end of the humerus is an epicondylar fracture and is located at the elbow. A fracture of one or more of the carpal bones is not described by the term Colles fracture.

The patient presents to the emergency department with pain and de...

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Physiological Adaptation
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Category: Physiological Adaptation
Difficulty: 4

Topics: Musculoskeletal

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