Anatomy & DisordersQuestion 77 of 100
A client who spent two weeks in the hospital with a high fever now has a deep horizontal groove running across every fingernail at about the same place, and she asks you what disease she has. How should you respond?
a.Explain that grooves like these can appear after an illness because nail growth slows, that you are not permitted to diagnose, and that her doctor can answer health questions, then service the nails gently
b.Tell her she has a serious internal disease and should stop getting manicures
c.Diagnose it as a fungal infection and refuse all service
d.Buff the grooves completely flat so the nails look smooth again
Explanation
Horizontal grooves across the nails, known as Beau's lines, commonly follow a fever, illness or serious stress that temporarily slowed the matrix, and the nail is not infected, so it may be serviced gently. Nail changes can reflect general health, but a manicurist may never name a disease or make a diagnosis; that is the physician's job. Buffing the grooves flat would thin the plate and weaken it, and calling it a fungal infection is both wrong and a diagnosis you cannot make.
Law Reference: CA Business & Professions Code §7320Practice all 100 questions free — no signup required.
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