History Taking Questions Flashcards
Cardiovascular?
Do you ever have chest pain or tightness?
Do you ever wake up in the night feeling short of breath?
Have you ever noticed your heart racing or thumping?
How many pillows do you sleep with and why?
Consider SOCRATES
Respiratory?
Are you ever short of breath?
Have you ever had a cough? If so do you ever cough anything up?
What colour is the phlegm?
Have you ever coughed up blood?
Gastrointestinal?
Are you troubled by indigestion or heartburn?
Have you noticed any change in your bowel habit recently?
Have you ever seen any blood or slime in your stools?
Genitourinary?
Do you ever have pain or difficulty passing urine?
Do you have to get up at night pass urine? If so how often?
Have you noticed any dribbling at the end of passing urine?
Have your periods been quite regular?
Musculoskeletal?
Do you have any pain, stiffness or swelling in your joints?
Do you have any difficulty walking or dressing?
Endocrine?
Do you tend to feel heat or cold more than you use to?
Neurological?
Have you ever had any fits, faints or blackouts?
Have you noticed any numbness, weakness or clumsiness in your arms or legs?
Past Medical History?
What illnesses have you seen a doctor about in the past?
Have you been in hospital before or attended a clinic?
Have you had any operations?
Do you take any medicines regularly?
Prescribed drug use?
Do you take any medicines regularly?
Do you use an inhaler?
Drug allergies?
Have you ever had an allergic reaction to a medication or vaccine?
What do you mean by allergy?
Family History?
Are there any illnesses that run in your family?
Have any of your family had heart trouble?
Non-prescribed drug use?
Do you take any non-prescribed drugs?
What drugs are you taking?
How often and how much?
How long have you been taking drugs?
Have you managed to stop at any time? If so when and why did you start using drugs again?
What symptoms to you have if you cannot get drugs?
Do you ever inject? If so where do you get your needles?
Do you ever share needles?
Do you see your drug use as a problem?
Do you want to make changes in your life and change the way you use drugs?
Have you ever been checked for infections spread by drug use?
Social History?
Who is there at home with you, or do you live alone?
Does you have anyone who visits you regularly?
Are you a carer for anyone?
Have you suffered a bereavement in the recent past?
Smoking?
Have you ever smoked? How old were you when you started? Do you still smoke now? How many do you smoke/have smoked a day? (Convert to pack years) Encourage smoking cessation.
Alcohol?
Do you drink alcohol?
How much and what kind? (Convert to units -anything above 14 is hazardous drinking)
