Intro to Health Assessment

Question 1

What are the four techniques used to assess a patient?

Answer 1

1. Inspection- eyes, smell
2. Palpation- hands
3. Percussion- fingers or hands
4. Auscultation- ears

Question 2

What is inspection?

Answer 2

Looking at the patient, listening for natural sounds, and use the sense of smell to detect odors

Question 3

What things should the nurse look for when using inspection?

Answer 3

Look for symmetry of the patient’s sides, etc. (look for any abnormalities)

Question 4

What characteristics would a nurse be looking for when she palpates a patient?

Answer 4

1. size
2. shape
3. location
4. mobility
5. position
6. vibrations
7. temperature
8. texture
9. moisture
10. tenderness
11. edema

Question 5

What is fremitus?

Answer 5

Vibration felt by a hand placed on the chest during coughing or speaking (EX: “Say 99 each time I lay my hand down”)

Question 6

What are the different sounds that a nurse would hear during percussion?

Answer 6

1. Tympani
2. Resonance
3. Hyperresonance

Question 7

What is a tympani sound in the human body?

Answer 7

loud, high-pitched, drum like tone (air filled stomach)

Question 8

What is a resonance sound in the human body?

Answer 8

loud, low-pitched, hollow tone (air filled lungs= hollow)

Question 9

What is a hypperresonance sound in the human body?

Answer 9

abnormally loud, low tone of longer duration than resonance (Emphysematous lung= hyperinflated)

Question 10

What part of the body makes a flat sound?

Answer 10

bone or muscle

Question 11

What part of the body makes a dull sound?

Answer 11

heart, liver, or spleen

Question 12

What is a nurse looking for when Ausculating

Answer 12

1. intensity
2. pitch
3. duration
4. quality

Question 13

What order should the four techniques be used?

Answer 13

1. inspect
2. palpate
3. percuss
4. auscultate

Question 14

What order should the four techniques be used for the abdomen?

Answer 14

1. inspect
2. auscultate
3. Palpate
4. Percuss

Question 15

Is systolic the top or bottom number of blood pressure, and does it occur when the heart is contracting or resting?

Answer 15

it is the top number and it occurs when the left ventricle contracts

Question 16

Is diastolic the top or bottom number of blood pressure, ad does it occur when the heart is contracting or resting?

Answer 16

It is the bottom number, and it occurs when the heart is resting