Chapter 9: Patient Assessment

Question 1

The secondary muscles of respiration. They include the neck muscles (sternocleimastoids), the chest pectoralis major muscles, and the abdominal muscles.

Answer 1

Accessory Muscles

Question 2

Any deviation from alert and oriented to person, place, time, and event, or any deviation from a patient’s normal baseline mental status; may signal disease in the central nervous system or elsewhere in the body.

Answer 2

Altered Mental Status

Question 3

To listen to sounds within and organ with a stethoscope.

Answer 3

Auscultate

Question 4

A method of assessing the level of consciousness by determining whether the patient is awake and alert, responsive to verbal stimuli or pain, or unresponsive; used principally early in the assessment process.

Answer 4

AVPU Scale

Question 5

A slow heart rate, less than 60 beats/min.

Answer 5

Bradycardia

Question 6

An indication of air movement in the lungs, usually assessed with a stethoscope.

Answer 6

Breath Sounds

Question 7

A test that evaluates distal circulatory system function by squeezing (blanching” blood from an area such as a nail bed and watching the speed of its return after releasing the pressure.

Answer 7

Capillary Refill

Question 8

A noninvasive method to quickly and efficiently provide information on a patient’s ventilatory status, circulation, and metabolism; effectively measures the concentration of carbon dioxide in expired air over time.

Answer 8

Capnography

Question 9

A component of air that typically makes up 0.3% of air at sea level; also a waste product exhaled during expiration by the respiratory system.

Answer 9

Carbon Dioxide

Question 10

The reason a patient called for help; also, the patient’s response to questions such as “What’s wrong?” or “What happened?”

Answer 10

Chief Complaint

Question 11

In incident management, the position that oversees the incident, establishes the objectives and priorities, and develops a response plan.

Answer 11

Command

Question 12

The delicate membrane that lines the eyelids and covers the exposed surface of the eye.

Answer 12

Conjunctiva

Question 13

Crackling, rattling breath sounds signaling fluid in the air spaces of the lungs; formerly called rales.

Answer 13

Crackles

Question 14

A grating or grinding sensation caused by fractured bone ends or joints rubbing together; also air bubbles under the skin that produce a crackling sound or crinkly feeling.

Answer 14

Crepitus

Question 15

A blue-gray skin color that is caused by a reduced level of oxygen in the blood.

Answer 15

Cyanosis

Question 16

A mnemonic for assessment in which each area of the body is evaluated for deformities, contusions, abrasions, punctures/penetrations, burns, tenderness, lacerations, and swelling.

Answer 16

DCAP-BTLS

Question 17

Characterized by light or profuse sweating.

Answer 17

Diaphoretic

Question 18

The pressure that remains in the arteries during the relaxing phase of the heart’s cycle (diastole) when the left ventricle is at rest.

Answer 18

Diastolic Pressure

Question 19

Any injury that prevents the patient from noticing other injuries he or she may have, even severe injuries; for example, a painful femur or tibia fracture that prevents the patient from noticing back pain associated with a spinal fracture.

Answer 19

Distracting Injury

Question 20

Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.

Answer 20

Dyspnea

Question 21

A disease of the lungs in which there is extreme dilation and eventual destruction of the pulmonary alveoli with poor exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide; it is one form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Answer 21

Emphysema

Question 22

A type of physical assessment typically performed on patients who have sustained no significant mechanisms of injury or on responsive medical patients. This type of examination is based on the chief complaint and focuses on one body system or part.

Answer 22

Focused assessment

Question 23

Damage to tissue as the result of exposure to cold; frozen or partially frozen body parts.

Answer 23

Frostbite

Question 24

The overall initial impression that determines the priority for patient care; based on the patient’s surroundings, the mechanism of injury, signs and symptoms, and the chief complaint.

Answer 24

General Impression

Question 25

The time from injury to definitive care, during which treatment of shock and traumatic injuries should occur because survival potential is best; also called the Golden Period.

Answer 25

Golden Hour

Question 26

Involuntary muscle contractions (spasm) of the abdominal wall to minimize the pain of movement and protect the inflamed abdomen; a sign of peritonitis.

Answer 26

Guarding

Question 27

A step within the patient assessment process that provides detail about the patient’s chief complaint and an account of the patient’s vital signs and symptoms.

Answer 27

History Taking

Question 28

Blood pressure that is higher than the normal range

Answer 28

Hypertension

Question 29

Blood pressure that is lower than the normal range.

Answer 29

Hypotension

Question 30

A condition in which the internal or core body temperature falls below 95 degrees F. (35 C)

Answer 30

Hypothermia

Question 31

Yellow skin or sclera that is cause by liver disease or dysfunction.

Answer 31

Jaundice

Question 32

The forces, or energy transmission, applied to the body that cause injury.

Answer 32

Mechanism of Injury

Question 33

Widening of the nostrils, indicating that there is an airway obstruction.

Answer 33

Nasal Flaring

Question 34

The general type of illness a patient is experiencing.

Answer 34

Nature of Illness