General Examination

Question 1

What is leukonychia?

Answer 1

white nails

Question 2

what can cause leukonychia?

Answer 2

> injury to the nail base
chronic liver disease
hypoalbuminaemia

Question 3

what is koilonychias?

Answer 3

spoon shaped nails (seen in iron deficiency anaemia)

Question 4

what can cause splinter haemorrhages?

Answer 4

> trauma
infective endocarditis
vasculitis

Question 5

how would you test capillary refill time?

Answer 5

press on the nail bed for 5 seconds and observe the refill time.
more than or equal to 2 secs is normal

Question 6

what is palmar erythema?

Answer 6

bright red warm hands

Question 7

what can angular stomatitis indicate?

Answer 7

iron deficiency

Question 8

describe examination of the hands

Answer 8

> inspection: colour and muscle wasting
> nails inspection
> capillary refill
> joints
> palms
> temperature
> contractures

Question 9

what should you look for in inspection of the nails?

Answer 9

> anaemia
> peripheral cyanosis
> koilonychias
> leukonychia
> splinter haemorrhages
> pitting 
> clubbing

Question 10

what are the signs of clubbing?

Answer 10

> loss of nail curvatures
increased nail bed fluctuation
increased nail angle
increased soft tissue mass

Question 11

when examining the arms what should you check for?

Answer 11

> joint deformity
> bruising
> rashes
> scars
> spider naevi
> venous damage
> skin turgor