What evaluation is important in the preoperative nursing assessment of a client with a severely herniated lumbar disk?
1. Movement and sensation in the lower extremities
2. Leg pain that radiates to both lower extremities
3. Reflexes in the upper extremities
4. Pupillary reaction to light
Answer: 1
The movement and sensation should be evaluated before surgery to serve as a baseline for comparison during the postoperative recovery period. Radiating leg pain is diagnostic of the condition, and assessing it before surgery is not as beneficial as determining movement and sensation. (Lewis 8 ed, pp. 339, 342 & 1631).