NURS 6512N-11:
Advanced Health Assessment
WEEK 2 INITIAL DISCUSSION POST #1
Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests
When seeking to identify a patient’s health condition, advanced practice nurses can use a
diverse selection of diagnostic tests and assessment tools; however, different factors affect the
validity and reliability of the results produced by these tests or tools. Nurses must be aware of
these factors in order to select the most appropriate test or tool and to accurately interpret the
results.The following discussion will description of how prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test
used in health care. I will evaluate the PSA's validity and reliability, and explain any issues with
sensitivity, reliability, and predictive values.
Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test
Prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, is a protein produced by cells of the prostate gland. The
PSA test measures the level of PSA in a man’s blood. The results are usually reported as
nanograms of PSA per milliliter (ng/mL) of blood (National Cancer Institute, 2011).
The blood
level of PSA is often elevated in men with prostate cancer, and the PSA test was originally
approved by the FDA in 1986 to monitor the progression of prostate cancer in men who had
already been diagnosed with the disease (National Cancer Institute, 2011).
In 1994, the FDA
approved the use of the PSA test in conjunction with a digital rectal exam (DRE) to test
asymptomatic men for prostate cancer (National Cancer Institute, 2011). Men who report
prostate symptoms often undergo PSA testing (along with a DRE) to help doctors determine the
nature of the problem.
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- Summer '15
- Prostate cancer, Prostate-specific antigen
