General Assessment

Question 1

Universal Precautions

Answer 1

Standards set by CDC, protect patient and physician from spread of infectious diseases. Gloves should be worn if there is obvious blood, body fluid, and pt presenting with diarrhea. Wash hands (or sanitize) before and after wearing gloves

Question 2

Vital Signs

Answer 2

Blood pressure
Pulse
Respiratory Rate
Temperature
O2 saturation

Question 3

Stethoscope

Answer 3

ear pieces face forward
Diaphragm is larger circle (higher pitches - heart and breath sounds)
bell is smaller circle (for low pitches - bruits)

Question 4

Sphygmomanometers

Answer 4

blood pressure monitors
- cuff’s bladder length = at least 80% circumference of upper arm
width of cuff’s bladder = at least 40% length of upper arm
inflate to ~180mmHg, release air at moderate rate (~3mm/sec)

Question 5

Falsely high blood pressure

Answer 5

Brachial artery BELOW heart
cuff too SMALL (narrow)
cuff too large (wide) on a large arm

Question 6

Falsely low blood pressure

Answer 6

Brachial artery ABOVE heart

cuff too LARGE (wide) on a small arm

Question 7

Korotkoff sound

Answer 7

knocking sound during blood pressure collection
= systolic pressure
when disappears = diastolic pressure

Question 8

Ausculatory gap

Answer 8

period of diminished or absent Korotkoff sound - associated with arterial stiffness and atherosclertoic disease
- can lead to underest. of systolic, and overest. of diastolic pressures