On examination, the following details are obtained:

  • Height: 162 cm
  • Weight: 42kg
  • BMI: 16 kg/m2
  • Cool hands
  • Heart rate: 64
  • Temperature: 36 degrees
  • Blood pressure: 105/90
  • Looks thin, not dehydrated, no anaemia, pale and slightly dry skin but no conjunctival pallor, no palpable thyroid, no obvious lanugo hair
  • Normal cardiovascular and respiratory exam
  • Normal abdominal examination
  • Tanner stage 4 breast and pubic hair growth

Key resource

Emergency Department triage.

This table outlines an approach to the initial assessment and evaluation of a child or adolescent presenting to an Emergency Department with a history suggestive of an eating disorder. It is part of the Eating Disorders Toolkit (p12) provided as a comprehensive document on the website for the Centre for Eating and Dieting Disorders

www.cedd.org.au

Associated learning topic

Protein-energy malnutrition smp.sydney.edu.au/compass/teachingactivity/view/id/2269

References

The following reference refers to protein-energy malnutrition in young children, however, the principle is the same in an adolescent with anorexia nervosa.

Grover Z, Ee LC. Protein energy malnutrition. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2009 Oct;56(5):1055-68 opac.library.usyd.edu.au/record=b3775811~S4