Physical Exam Flashcards
Do any patient complaints belong in the PE?
No
If a patient says their abdomen feels very painful, can you automatically document “abdominal tenderness” in the PE? Why or Why Not?
No. it is subjective.
Which of these two physical findings could a physician appreciate without auscultating patient lungs:
a) No respiratory distress
b) No rales
a) No respiratory distress
What does PEERL stand for?
Pupils are equal, round, and reactive to light
What does NAD stand for?
No acute distress
What does AT/NC mean?
atraumatic/normocephalic
If a pt has pale conjunctiva, what does that indicate?
GI Bleed
What is scleral icterus, and what does it indicate?
yellow sign of liver failure
Name an instrument a physician may use to closely investigate the eyes.
Ophthalmoscope
In which body system would you document “TM erythema and bulging”?
ENT
What is the medical term for nostril?
Nares
To describe a “runny nose” would the doctor use the word “epistaxis” or “rhinorrhea”
Rhinorrhea
What would dry mucous membranes indicate?
dehydration
Why is midline body tenderness “worse” than paraspinal tenderness?
Bony tenderness (aka vertebral point tenderness) points toward a spinal fracture and therefore concern for spinal cord injury. paraspinal tenderness points toward a muscle sprain or strain
If you saw “RRR” written in the cardiac exam, what do you think it might mean?
Regular Rate & Rhythm
If the physican checks the pulse on the right right wrist and says “The pulses are fine”, what would you document in the physical exam?
Right Radial pulse is 2+
Name the rhythm that the physical would hear if the patient was in Afib
Irregularly Irregular
Name two “Peritoneal signs” in the abdominal exam
- Voluntary Guarding
- Rebound Tenderness
- Rigidity (Involuntary Guarding)
What abdominal exam sign is indicative of Cholecystitis
Murphy’s Sign
If a doctor takes 1 finger and presses in a specific spot in the RLQ, what is the name of the finding they are investigating
McBurney’s point tenderness
Which of these findings is NOT a peritoneal signs?
Guarding, Rebound, Tenderness, Rigidity
Tenderness
What would a “Guaiac positive” stool sample diagnose
GI Bleed
What phrase do you have to document in the GU exam for every female pelvic exam performed by a male physician?
Female Chaperone Present
What is bony tenderness a sign of?
Bone deformity, fracture, or injury
