A client is demonstrating a positive Chvostek's sign. Which question should the nurse ask to assess for related symptoms?

A client is demonstrating a positive Chvostek's sign. Which question should the nurse ask to assess for related symptoms?

• A. Do you have a sore throat?
• B. Ask about numbness or tingling in the hands
• C. Do you have headaches?
• D. Have you eaten beef recently?

Answer: (B)

When Chvostek’s sign is positive, it points to neuromuscular excitability from low calcium (hypocalcemia). The most relevant related symptom to assess is numbness or tingling in the extremities, especially the hands, because paresthesias are a common early manifestation of hypocalcemia. Asking about this directly screens for the sensory irritability that accompanies low calcium levels. The other questions don’t align with calcium imbalance: a sore throat doesn’t reflect hypocalcemia, headaches are nonspecific, and recent beef intake doesn’t explain neuromuscular symptoms related to calcium.

When Chvostek’s sign is positive, it points to neuromuscular excitability from low calcium (hypocalcemia). The most relevant related symptom to assess is numbness or tingling in the extremities, especially the hands, because paresthesias are a common early manifestation of hypocalcemia. Asking about this directly screens for the sensory irritability that accompanies low calcium levels.

The other questions don’t align with calcium imbalance: a sore throat doesn’t reflect hypocalcemia, headaches are nonspecific, and recent beef intake doesn’t explain neuromuscular symptoms related to calcium.