Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) Practice Exam

What is the primary action performed during the Pronator Drift Test?

1. Ask the patient to touch their nose

2. Instruct the patient to extend both arms with palms up

3. Have the patient maintain balance with eyes closed

4. Check the patient's reflexes by tapping the abdomen

The correct answer is: Instruct the patient to extend both arms with palms up

The primary action performed during the Pronator Drift Test is to instruct the patient to extend both arms with palms up. This test is often used in neurological assessments to evaluate motor function and the presence of upper motor neuron lesions. By having the patient extend their arms in this manner, the examiner can observe for any involuntary pronation or downward drift of one arm, which may indicate muscle weakness or neurological impairment. While the other options involve various assessment techniques, they do not specifically pertain to the Pronator Drift Test. For instance, touching the nose assesses coordination and proprioception, maintaining balance with eyes closed tests equilibrium and proprioception, and checking reflexes by tapping the abdomen focuses on assessing the integrity of the reflex arcs rather than motor function related to the arms. Each of these tests serves a different purpose in the overall neurological examination but does not capture the specific action involved in assessing for pronator drift.