CM exam 2 Flashcards
(195 cards)
what are the seven attributes of a symptom?
location (where is it? where does it radiate?), quality (what is it like?), quantity or severity (how bad is it? 1-10), timing (when did this start, how long does it last, how often does it come?), setting in which it occurs, remitting or exacerbating factors (is there anything that makes it better or worse?), associated manifestations (anything that accompanies it?)
common or concerning symptoms?
headache, change in vision, double vision, hearing loss, earache, tinnitus, vertigo, epistaxis, sore throat, swollen glands, trauma
where must a patient go if they fall from a height equal to their height or higher?
a level 1 trauma center due to hidden injuries
what are some things to assess with head trauma?
is the patient awake/oriented? how did they get hurt? time of injury? loss of consciousness immediately post-injury? subsequent levels of alertness? amnesia (retrograde, anterograde)?, headache (mild, moderate, severe), double or blurred vision? bleeding from ears, nose, mouth, eyes?
concussion
a disturbance in brain function caused by a direct or indirect force to the head; do not have to be knocked out to have a concussion
what clues you into a possible concussion?
headache, physical unsteadiness, impaired brain function, confusion (person, place, time; inadequate answers are suspicious), abnormal behavior
what is the sports concussion tool used in iowa?
sport concussion assessment tool-2
how do you disqualify an athlete based on a concussion?
the screen after a head injury does not match the baseline following injury
when can a high school athlete return to sports?
they may not go back the same day as the injury; may only return after medical practice; RTP (return to practice)
classic migraine
70% unilateral; pulsating or throbbing; hours to days; females have it more often; nausea/vomiting are common; caused by missing meals, menses, BCP, stress, certain foods
cluster
rare, but has classical characteristics; occurs in adulthood, unilateral, 1/2-2 hours, intense burning, searing, knife-like, several nights for several days and then gone, males are more likely to get them, increased tearing/nasal discharge that is almost always unilateral
tension
occurs in adulthood, unilateral or bilateral (if unilateral, do not automatically think classic migraine), hours to days, anytime it can start, band-like and constricting, no prodrome (a “tip off” to the patient they will get one), stress, anger, and teeth grinding can cause them
medication rebound
diffuse, hours at a time, hours or days of last dose, dull or throbbing pain, daily analgesics are a clue, abrupt analgesic stops will cause them
hyperparathyroidism
“speed up”; the following symptoms do not begin at the same time; nervousness, weight loss, excessive sweating, heat intolerance, warm/smooth/moist skin, Grave’s disease, tachycardia
hypothyroidism
“slow down”; fatigue, lethargy, modest weight gain, dry coarse skin, cold intolerance, swelling of face, hands, and legs, bradycardia, impaired memory
what do you exam on the head?
symmetry, presence of hair, scalp (lesions, bugs, bumps, lumps, cysts), face (CN VII), palpation, bony irregularities, oral mucosa (number of teeth, look at tongue), facial sensation, carotid and temporal arteries
what do you check on the TMJ?
alignment and palpate for clicking or crepitus
what do you inspect on the neck?
the general appearance in bright and tangential light, symmetry, lesions, masses, tracheal position, jugular venous distention, range of motion (assess strength), auscultation carotids and thyroid, palpation, nuchal rigidity (stiffness to the neck; check infants and children where this is classic in meningitis), cervical spinous processes, paravertebral musculature, cricoid and thyroid cartilage, position of trachea, thyroid, carotids, lymphatics
what do you always check from birth to 24 months?
head circumference!
why do you transilluminate the skull?
to look for excess fluid accumulation
how do the heads of an adult and an infant compare?
head at birth is 1/4 of body length (adult is 1/8) and the head at birth is 1/3 of the weight (adult is 1/10)
why do infants need to be placed backwards in carseat for first 2 years of life?
because the head is heavy and fairly unstable - not held up by much! in the event of a motor vehicle accident, the head will go into the seat which is safer than forwards
sutures
separate the bones; membranous tissues
fontanelles
areas where sutures intersect