Course 4: Physical Exam Flashcards
Do any patient complaints belong in the PE?
No
If a patient says their abdomen feels very painful, can you automatically document “abdominal tenderness” in the PE?
No. Subjective vs. Objective
Which of these 2 physical exam findings could a physician appreciate without auscultating the patients lungs:
A. No respiratory distress
B. No rales
No respiratory distress
What does PERRL stand for?
Pupils are equal round and reactive to light
What does AT/NC mean?
Atraumatic/Normocephalic
What does NAD stand for?
No acute distress or disease
If a patient has pale conjunctiva what does that indicate?
Anemia
What is scleral icterus and what does it indicate?
Yellowing of the eyes, indicates liver failure
Name an instrument a physician may use to closely investigate the eyes>
Slit Lamp
Woods Lam
Ophthalmoscope (aka fundoscopic exam)
In which body system would you document “TM erythema and bulging”?
Ears
What is the medical term for a nostril?
Naris
To describe a runny nose would the doctor use the word “epistaxis” or “rhinorrhea”?
Rhinorrhea
Why is Midline bony tenderness “worse” than paraspinal tenderness?
Bony tenderness (aka vertebral point tenderness) points towards a spinal fracture and therefore concern for a spinal cord injury
Paraspinal tenderness points towards muscle pain or strain
If you saw RRR written in the cardiac exam, what do you think it might mean?
Regular Rate and Rhythm
Name the rhythm that the physician would hear if the patient was in Afib?
Irregularly irregular rhythm
If the physician checks the pulse on the right wrist and says “the pulses are fine” what would you document in the PE?
Right radial pulse is 2+
Name 2 “Peritoneal signs” in the abdominal exam?
- Guarding
- Rebound Tenderness
- Rigidity
What abdominal exam is indicative of cholecystitis?
Murphy’s Sign
If the doctor takes 1 finger and presses in a specific spot in the RLQ what is the name of the finding they are investigating?
McBurney’s point tenderness (Appendicitis)
Which of these is NOT a peritoneal sign?
Guarding, Rebound, Tenderness, Rigidity
Tenderness
What does a Guaiac positive stool sample diagnose?
GI Bleed
What phrase do you have to document in the GU exam for every female pelvic exam performed by a male physician?
Female Chaperone Present
What is bony tenderness a sign of?
Bone Deformity, Fracture or Injury
What is CVA tenderness?
Flank tenderness (costovertebral angle tenderness) -tenderness over the kidneys
What is fluctuance a sign of?
Abscess
What is the difference between laceration and abrasion?
Laceration: incision in the skin that typically need sutures
Abrasion: scrape of the skin
What procedure is associated with a laceration by not an abrasion?
Laceration Repair, Sutures
What section of the neurological exam would you document “Normal Finger-Nose-Finer test” and “Normal-Heel-to-Shin”?
Cerebellar/Coordination
What does DTR stand for?
Deep tendon reflex
Point to the general area of your body that Cranial Nerves (CN) control?
Face
In the neurological exam what does “normal gait” mean?
Walking normally
In the psychiatric exam, what do SI and HI stand for?
Suicidal and Homicidal Ideations
Is the Glascow Coma Scale (GCS) associated with trauma patients or medical patients?
Trauma
What would you document “RUE strength 3/5” under the “neurological” or “Extremities” section of the exam?
Neurological
What would you guess “TPP” means?
Tenderness to Palpation
A mother states her child has been extremely tired and drowsy recently; based on that, can you document “Lethargic” in the child’s PE?
NAH
Spell the medical term for “Hives”
Urticaria
What is the medical term for “swollen lymph nodes”?
Lymphadenopathy
If you document “there is no pronator drift” in the neurological exam, can you also document “No focal neurological deficits”?
No because its a contraindication
If you documented “NAD” in the constitutional section would you be contraindicating yourself if you wrote “There is mild respiratory distress” in the pulmonary exam?
Yes
