Assessment Techniques and Saftey Flashcards
What are we typically refering to when we talk about “Cultivating Your Senses” in an assessment.
When giving an assessment “Cultivating Your Senses” means using your six senses (sight, smell, ect.) along with the inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation of a patient.
What are the standard tones of percussion and what do they sound like?
Standard tones of percussion to keep in mind include;
Resonant= Clear and hollow tones heard typically over normal lung tissue.
Hyperresonant= Booming tones that are heard frequently over lungs with increased air (as is the case in Emphysema)
Tympany= Musical/ Drumlike tones heard over air filled stomachs and intestines.
Dull= muffled thuds heard typically over dense organs such as the liver or sl=pleen
And
Flat= Brief tone heard often over bone and tumors
What is the first thing you should do in regards to equipment and setting before you give a full head to toe examination?
First thing is first, prepare and clean your equipment prior to assessment.
Do this by designating a “Clean” and a “Used” space for the your equipment to avoid providing any vehicles of infection when giving an assessment.
What should you do with assessment equipment that is used on multiple patients, such as a stethoscope, before performing any assessment?
Santize said equipment with an alcohol wipe.
What are important factors of fit/ style that affect stethoscope use?
Plastic ear pieces should comfortably fit your ears, tubing should be 14-18 inches long, a stethoscope shoud have both a daiphram and a bell,
Differentiate the uses for the Diaphram of a stethoscope V. the bell of a stethoscope.
The Diaphram of the stethoscope is used for high pitched sounds such as breath, bowel, and normal heart sounds.
The Bell of a stethoscope is used for low pitched sounds such as extra heart sounds (S3, S4) and murmurs.
An Assessment room setting should be . . .
Clean, well lit, private, quiet, warm, and well stocked.
What are standard precautions?
Standard Precautions, which are used to help prevent disease/pathogen transmission involve;
-Hand Hygiene
- Use of appropriate PPE
-Cough Ettiquette
-And additional precautions as needed; Droplet, airborne, and contact precautions.
How would you give an assessment to an infant/child?
lay younger infants on their back, or for infants who can support themselves have them sit up.
Have infant sit in caregivers lap and start by talking to the caregiver first to allow the child to see that the adult trusts you.
Praise any cooperation.
How would you give an Older Adult an assessment?
Give older adults any needed breaks/rests from the assessment if needed. Also use “Sir” or “Ma’am” instead of sweetheart or hun.
Make sure to use physical touch since frequently senses such as hearing and vision will be diminished.
Do not mistake diminishes in hearing or vision for confusion.
When palpating a patient how should you do so?
Palpating patients should involve;
Using the back of your hands for body temp. checks
soft gentle pushes by the fingertips to asses for masses, swelling, ect,
using the palm or ulnar surface of your hand to assess for vibrations
cleaning and warming your hands before palpating
And Light palpation BEFORE deep palpation
How do you palpate for a kidney infection?
Place the palm of your hand at the costo vertebral angle, then strike it with your opposite fist. The resulting vibrations will likely cause a pain response in a patient with an infected kidney.
When you assess a patient what order should you obtain objective data?
You should always inspect, Percuss, Auscultate, then lastly palpate.
