Behavior And Mental Status Flashcards
What are the different types of levels of attention?
- Alert
- Lethargic
- Obtunded
- Stuporous
- Coma
What is the “alert” LOC
The patient is awake and aware
What is the “lethargic” LOC
You must speak to the patient in a loud forceful manner to get a response
What is the “obtunded” LOC
You must shake a patient tot get a response
What is the “Stuporous” LOC
The patient is unarousable except by painful stimuli (sternal rub)
What is the coma LOC
The patient is completely unarousable
What does short-term memory cover?
Events or memories that occurred minutes to days before
What does long-term memory cover
Events or memories that occurred months to years before
What orientation questions should the patient know /
- Person (who they are)
- Place (where they are)
- Time (when is it)
- Situation (why they are there)
What is the definition of perception?
Awareness of the objects in the environment to the 5 senses and their interrelationships
What is the definition of thought processes
The logic, coherence and relevance of a patient’s thoughts as they lead to thoughts and goals
*how people think
What is the definition of insight?
Awareness that’s thought, symptoms, or behaviors are normal or abnormal
*knowing that a daydream or hallucination is not real
What is the definition of judgment
Process of comparing and evaluating different possible courses of action
What is the definition of affect in relation to mental status and behavior?
The observable mood of a person expressed through facial expression,body movement, and voice
*what you see as the HCP
What is the definition of mood
The sustained emotion of the patient
*what the patient is feeling
What euthymic
Normal mood
What is dysthymic
Depressed mood
What is manic
Elated mood
What is higher cognitive functions
The level of intelligence assessed by vocabulary, knowledge base, calculations, and abstract thinking
What comprises the mental status examination?
- Appearance and behavior
- Speech and language
- Mood
- Thoughts and perceptions
- Cognitive function
What to consider when observing posture and motor behavior
- Does the patient lie in bed or prefer to walk around
- Is the patient sitting or lying comfortably
- Is the patient agitated with repetitive movements
What to consider when assessing appearance and behavior?
- Does the affect reflect the mood
- Is the affect stable or labile (mood changing from happiness to tears and back quickly)
- Does the patient seem to see or hear things you do not
What to consider when assessing speech and language
Quantity: is the patient talkative or silent
Rate: is the speech fast or slow
Loud: is speech loud or soft
Articulation of words: does the patient speak clearly and distinctly?
What does fluency of speech involve?
Fluency involves the rate, flow, and melody of speech
What is circumlocutions?
Words or phrases are substituted for the word a person cannot remember
EX: “the thing you block out your writing with” (for an eraser)