Family Nurse Practitioner Exam

The Phalen test is utilized to evaluate which of the following conditions?

1. Inflammation of the median nerve

2. Rheumatoid arthritis

3. Degenerative joint changes

4. Chronic tenosynovitis

The correct answer is: Inflammation of the median nerve

The Phalen test is specifically designed to evaluate for carpal tunnel syndrome, a condition caused by compression of the median nerve at the wrist. During the test, the patient is asked to flex their wrists by placing the backs of their hands together and holding this position for about 60 seconds. If symptoms such as tingling, numbness, or pain occur in the distribution of the median nerve, this indicates potential inflammation or irritation of the median nerve. Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common condition associated with the median nerve, and the Phalen test effectively highlights the relationship between wrist positioning and median nerve symptoms, leading to the confirmation of inflammation in this nerve. This makes the option that deals with inflammation of the median nerve the correct choice, as it directly correlates with the purpose of the Phalen test. Other options like rheumatoid arthritis, degenerative joint changes, and chronic tenosynovitis involve different mechanisms and may require other tests for diagnosis, hence they do not relate to the specific focus of the Phalen test on the median nerve.