Block 1 - General Appearance

Question 1

Define the following component of general appearance: gender

Answer 1

How the pt appears to the practitioner: male, female, androgyny

Question 2

Define the following component of general appearance: general age category

Answer 2

Stated age vs apparent age. Patient’s chronological age vs age based off appearance (older, younger, equal).

Question 3

Define the following component of general appearance: presenting appearance

Answer 3

Level of toxicity: most important in assessing ill pt; toxic vs nontoxic.
Relative comfort vs discomfort: assessing elements of distress including posture, body language, pain.
Acutely ill vs chronically ill.
Appropriate for situation: assessing pt’s mood/behavior.
Behavior: cooperative and friendly vs carelessness, apathy, loss of sympathetic reactions, unusual docility, hostility, rage reactions, or excessive irratibility.
Unusual behavior: laughing while talking about serious matter.
Posture: ideally erect and able to make eye contact
Speech: Clear, thoughtout phrases, normal volume

Question 4

Define the following component of general appearance: mental status

Answer 4

Level of alertness - pt’s ability to interact and respond to you. Orientation - ability to recognize where the pt is, who the pt is, what time it is.

Question 5

Define the following component of general appearance: ethnic/racial background

Answer 5

(If clinically appropriate, but not generally appropriate). Only include if there is a clear clinical connection and can be accurate when identifying ethnicity/race.

Question 6

Define facies

Answer 6

Expression or appearance of the face and features of the head and neck indicating a clinical condition or syndrome.