1.05 - GENERAL SURVEY, VITAL SIGNS, & PAIN

Question 1

State the 5 compositions of a good general survey

Answer 1

Appearance
Height
Weight
Mood and behavior
Build or body habitus

Question 2

A body build where patient has more weight gain compared to other patients

Answer 2

Endomorph

Question 3

Patients that have a muscular build

Answer 3

Mesomorph

Question 4

Patients who are usually slim than other patients

Answer 4

Ectomorph

Question 5

Factors that contribute to body habitus

Answer 5

1. Nutrition and Socio-economic status
2. Genetic makeup
3. Physical fitness
4. Mood
5. Early illness
6. Gender
7. Geographic location
8. Age

Question 6

Level of alertness where the patient speaks in a normal tone of voice. The patient will open their eyes and make eye contact then respond fully and appropriately to stimuli.

Answer 6

Alert patients

Question 7

You have to speak

to the patient in a loud voice. The patient usually appears drowsy, but your voice still stimulates him/her.

Answer 7

Lethargic patients

Question 8

Usually, the patient needs to be shaken gently. After shaking, the patient will respond but slower patients can be confused.

Answer 8

Obtunded patient

Question 9

Need a painful stimulus to wake up the patient or make them aroused.

Answer 9

Stupor

Question 10

No matter how much painful stimuli you give, the patient will not respond or grimace.

Answer 10

Comatose patients

Question 11

Signs of cardiac or respiratory distress

Answer 11

Levine sign

Question 12

Can mean that there is poor perfusion or there could be any type of bleeding that we need to detect

Answer 12

Pallor

Question 13

Excessive sweating

Answer 13

Diaphoretic

Question 14

There is an increased respiratory rate and use of accessory muscles

Answer 14

Labored breathing

Question 15

Asthmatic patients, COPD, or hypersensitivity reaction always present with wheezing.

Answer 15

Wheezing

Question 16

This would usually give us a sign that the patient is experiencing discomfort

Answer 16

Wincing or grimacing

Question 17

They usually protect the area that is painful, and they don’t want that area to be touched

Answer 17

Guarding

Question 18

Patients that are limping or holding their lower back while leaning forward, shift their way to the left.

Answer 18

Unusual posture

Question 19

Isolated clinic hypertension (only in the clinic)

Answer 19

White coat hypertension

Blood pressure >140/90
mean awake ambulatory readings <135/85

Question 20

Office blood pressure <140/90 but an elevated daytime blood pressure >135/85 on home or ambulatory testing

Answer 20

Masked Hypertension