General History Taking Tips

Question 1

When a patient says they have anxiety, what should your next question be?

Answer 1

Situational or Generalized?
Trouble sleeping? (initial= tossing and turning can’t get to sleep, middle=wake up in middle of night, early morning wakening=associated with depression wake up early and not know why)

Question 2

when a patient says they have lost weight unintentionally… What should be your next question?

Answer 2

Do you eat the same or do you have a loss of appetite?

- unintentional weight loss with loss of appetite could be symptom of cancer

Question 3

What is ‘initial insomnia’ associated with?

Answer 3

associated with anxiety

Question 4

What are some appearance changing symptoms of graves disease?

Answer 4

swollen thyroid gland, bulging eyes, rash on shin

Question 5

what is the term for constipation sometime, and diarrhoea other times?

Answer 5

altered bowel habits

Question 6

What are the types of tremors?

Answer 6

intention tremor - upon deliberate movement like touching finger to finger
resting tremor - when hands aren’t doing anything, they still tremor (associated with parkinsons)

Question 7

what is the term for no periods? What is the term for lighter than normal periods?

Answer 7

Amenorrhea = no periods
Oligomenorrhea = fewer periods

Question 8

What is the term for bulging eyes?

Answer 8

exophthalmos

Question 9

what is the term for the rash associated with Graves Disease

Answer 9

pretibial myxoedema