Basic Physical Exam Flashcards
What does SOAP stand for?
- Subjective examination
- Objective examination
- Assessment
- Plan
Compare a subjective and objective examination
Subjective = things you cant measure Objective = things you can measure
What is involved in the assessment and plan stages?
- Analyse your findings
- Prioritise your findings and plan what to do next
When performing a subjective examination what information needs to be gathered?
- History
- Signalment: breed, age, sex
- Demeanour
- Posture and gait
- Body condition score
Give some examples of different demeanours an animal might show
- Bright, alert and responsive (BAR)
- Quiet, alert and responsive (QAR)
- Torpid (mentally or physically inactive, lethargic)
- Stupor (a state of near unconscious)
- Unconscious
Which parts of the body do you use to assess BCS?
Ribs Lumbar vertebrae Pelvic bones Waist Abdominal tuck
The objective examination is also know as …?
The physical examination
What are some different methodical methods used to perform a physical exam?
- Anatomically e.g. cranial to caudal
- Physiologically i.e. work through the body systems
- Combination
When looking at the animal as a whole during a physical examination, what can you assess?
- Symmetry
- Lumps and bumps
- Muscling
- Skin/coat condition
- Palpation of lymph nodes
When looking at the head of the animal during a physical exam, what can you assess?
- Symmetry
- Eyes
- Nose: condition, discharge, airflow
- Oral cavity: teeth, tongue, mm colour, CRT
- Ears
- Cranial nerves
- Lymph nodes
When looking at the thorax of the animal during a physical exam, what can you assess?
- Neck: jugular distention, prescapular lymph node
- CV system
- Respiratory system
What are you looking for when examining the CV system?
- Heart rate
- Heart rhythm
- Pulses
What are you looking for when examining the respiratory system?
- Respiratory rate
- Respiratory rhythm
- Percussion
The heart is located in the sternum between which ribs?
3-6
Which anatomical structure aligns with the level of the 5th costo-chondral junction?
Olecranon when the animal is standing square
Name the 4 heart values and where they are loacted
- Pulmonary = LHS, 3rd intercostal space
- Aortic = LHS, 4th intercostal space
- Mitral = LHS, 5th intercostal space
- Tricuspid = RHS, 4th intercostal space
What are the terms used to describe a faster and slower heart rate compared to normal?
Tachycardia
Bradycardia
What is the normal HR of:
- A dog
- A cat
Dog = 70-160bpm Cat = 120-220
What are the anatomical borders of the lungs?
- Cranially = thoracic limb
- Caudally = diaphragm
- Dorsally = vertebral column and axial muscles
- Ventrally = sternum
What is the normal RR for:
- A dog
- A cat
- 10-30brpm
- 20-30brpm
Name some abdominal lung sounds you might hear
- Crackles
- Wheezes
- Stridor (high pitch tone during respiration)
Describe percussion
The technique of tapping the thoracic wall to identify areas of dullness, either with or without the stethoscope.
What can percussion of the lungs help identify?
- solid masses (tumours of abscesses)
- Fluid lines (pneumonia)
How will percussion sound different when listening to the heart vs the lungs?
Percussing over the lungs will sound slightly tympanic (hollow) as they are air-filled, but percussing over the heart will sound slightly dull as it is fluid-filled – this is referred to the area of cardiac dullness
When you auscultate the abdomen what can you listen for?
Motility of the GI system
Where in the abdomen can be palpated?
- Liver: caudal border
- SI, colon
- Spleen (left side)
- Kidneys
- Bladder
At the caudal area of the animal, what can be examined?
- External genitalia
- Mammary glands
- Skin
- Anal glands
What should always be the last step of a physical examination?
Taking an animals temperature
What are the normal temperatures of:
- a dog
- a cat
dog = 37.9 - 39.9 cat = 38.1 - 39.2
