The General Survey Flashcards
When does the general survey begin with a pt?
Begins when you first enter the room
what are the 4 components of the General Survey?
- Physical appearance
- Mental satus
- Mobility
- patient’s behaviour
what is the purpose of noting the pt’s physical appearance upon admittance?
to record if there has been a change upon admittance for the best or worse.
under which component would skin colour, facial expression and body shape be recorded?
Physical appearance
under which component would you record mood, response, level of anxiety, orientation and speech?
Mental status
how do you assess for patient’s mobility? when do you start this assessment
observe pt’s
gait: alternative swinging, or need for assisstive devices
posture: straight back
Range of motion: arms + legs at same level
when patient enters the room
you notice that the patient is sweating and breathing heavily when they first enter the room. do you consider this abnormal or do you ask more questions?
Ask more questions: base your assessment on context, not only what is presented to you.
What data would you group under the Behaviour component?
dress, grooming and eye contact
how do position the client to measure their height?
feet flat
back to measure
no shoes
if you are measuring a pt’s weight daily, what are some constants that need to be considered?
need to measure weight on the same scale, same time of day, same type of clothing
why is body mass index inaccurate?
assumes everyone has the same composition
ex: athlete is same height and weight as average person but athlete is made of more muscle and average person is made of mostly fat.
what are the 2 measurements of nutritional status?
body mass index and waist circumference
When taking a waist measurement, what is the landmark?
lateral border of ilium, or the iliac crest of the hip bone.
“I’m a little tea cup”
name the 5 vital signs
temperature, pulse, respirations, blood pressure and O2 saturation
what is the normal range and average of temperature?
norm: 35-38 degrees C
Average: 37-37.2 degrees C
What are the factors influencing temperature and why?
age: elderly lose sub cu fat which makes them more susceptible to temp changes
circadian rhythm: hot in evening, cold in morning
Exercise: increase temp from increase in activity
stress: hormones cause increase in temp
menstrual cycle: hormones increase temp
What is the pulse range and characteristics?
norm: 60-100 bpm
rhythm, rate, force
what are the factors influencing pulse and why?
age: rigidity of arteries decreases pulse
exercise: increases pulse to circulate more O2
Athletes: decreased pulse because of stronger heart . muscles
gender: women have higher heart rate then men
body position: sitting down pools blood and increases pulse because heart must push harder
what is the norm, average and characteristics of Respirations?
norm: 12-20
Average: 16
Characteristics: rate, rhythm, depth, effort
What are the factors influencing Respirations and why?
age: increases effort because muscles are weaker
exercise: increases respirations for more oxygen
pain: increases respirations
temp: increases respirations to get rid of heat
stress: hormone increases rate
narcotics: decrease rate because they affect CNS region that controls breathing
sleep decreases breathing
how does age affect temperature?
age: elderly lose sub cu fat which makes them more susceptible to temp changes
how does stress affect temperature?
stress: hormones cause increase in temp
how does exercise affect pulse?
exercise: increases pulse to circulate more O2
how does body position affect pulse?
body position: sitting down pools blood and increases pulse because heart must push harder
how does sleep affect breathing?
sleep decreases breathing
how does age affect respirations?
age: increases effort because muscles are weaker
What are the factors affecting blood pressure?
age: increases BP, heart has to work harder
Stress: stress hormone increases heart rate
gender: men have higher BP then women
circadian rhythm: in morning BP is low, evening BP is high
Diet: sodium increases BP because it changes the viscosity of the blood.
what is the normal range of Blood pressure?
Systolic: 110-130
diastolic: 60-80
When assessing orthostatic hypotension, when does the BP become concerning?
when there is a 20mmHg difference between a change in position
what is the normal range for O2 saturation? what does it measure
norm: 95-100% on room air or oxygen
it measures the saturation of oxygen on hemoglobin
what are the factors that influence O2 saturation?
temperature: if finger is cold, it alters reading
nail polish: interferes with the red light
brightness: bright room interferes with the red light
movement: if pt has tremors, it alters the reading
Carbon monoxide: CO poisoning will read the same as O2 because CO also binds to hemoglobin
why does carbon monoxide poisoning affect O2 saturation?
Carbon monoxide: CO poisoning will read the same as O2 because CO also binds to hemoglobin
why does movement affect O2 saturation?
movement: if pt has tremors, it alters the reading
What are the normal ranges for men and women when taking waist circumference?
Women: 88cm
Men: 102cm
