Critical Clinical Observation DSA

Question 1

How do you identify your dominant eye? Why is this important?

Answer 1

If you stare at something with both eyes, close one eye, and the object stays in place, then that is your dominant eye.

Important in order to assess symmetry

Question 2

What are the 3 basic body types?

Answer 2

Mesomorphic, Ectomorphic, and Endomorphic

Question 3

What are the 5 colors that can be seen with skin/mucous membranes?

Answer 3

Pale, Redness (erythema), Yellow (jaundice), Blue (cyanosis), and black (necrosis)

Question 4

What are some landmarks on the anterior view of your head in order to test for symmetry?

Answer 4

Eye level, ear level, and nose/nare symmetry

Question 5

What makes a mesomorphic body type?

Answer 5

A muscular or sturdy body build (the average guy) with mid-ranges of ROM and is characterized by relative prominence of structures developed from the embryonic mesoderm (e.g. Harrison Ford from back in the day)

Question 6

What makes an ectomorphic body type?

Answer 6

Thin body build that has a long and linear frame (aka tall and lean) that tend to have a higher ROM and are characterized by relative prominence of structures from embryonic ectoderm (e.g. Scottie Pippen)

Question 7

What makes an endomorphic body type?

Answer 7

A heavy (fat) body build (obese/increased fatty tissue), that tend to have a lower ROM and are characterized by relative prominence of structures developed from embryonic endoderm (e.g. Howard Taft)

Question 8

What can paleness POTENTIALLY indicate?

Answer 8

Anemia

Question 9

What can erythema potentially indicate?

Answer 9

Inflammation

Question 10

What can jaundice potentially indicate?

Answer 10

Cirrhosis/liver failure

Question 11

What can cyanosis to the fingertips/toes potentially indicate? What if you add blue lips and a child crying/eating?

Answer 11

Reynaud’s disease

Tetralogy of Fallot

Question 12

What are the ABCDE’s of skin lesions?

Answer 12

Asymmetry, Border, Color, Diameter, and Evolution

Question 13

What kind of features can you observe for skin other than color?

Answer 13

Lesions, scars, tattoos, and piercings

Question 14

Why do you compare right from left?

Answer 14

To check for symmetry, height changes/differences, or any deviation from midline

Question 15

What factors create asymmetry?

Answer 15

Bone deformity, joint deformity, kyphoscoliosis, dress, occupation, mental attitude, habit, sacral base unleveling, lower extremity defects, or somatic dysfunction

Question 16

What are some landmarks for the anterior view on your upper extremities?

Answer 16

Acromion height, angles of the clavicles, carriage of arms, and finger tips length compared to the iliac crests

Question 17

What are some landmarks for the anterior view below the shoulders?

Answer 17

Angle of rib cage, umbilicus, crest of ilium, greater trochanter levels, upper leg, lower leg, patellar alignment, and medial/lateral malleoli

Question 18

What are some landmarks from the posterior view on the upper half of your body?

Answer 18

Carriage of the head, shoulder level (scapular spine, scapula angle, or medial scapular border), arm carriage, or spinous process alignment/deviation from the midline

Question 19

What are some landmarks on the posterior view on the lower half of the body?

Answer 19

Iliac crest heights, PSIS, greater trochanter, gluteal line, upper leg symmetry, popliteal line/space, Achilles’ tendon, medial/lateral malleoli

Question 20

What are some landmarks from the lateral view?

Answer 20

External auditory canal, acromion process, greater trochanter, anterior medial malleolus

In terms of spinal curvatures, cervical and lumbar lordosis and thoracic kyphosis