Week 1: General Appearance Flashcards
What are the steps you must follow when first meeting a patient?
What are the steps to being systemic and ensuring pt comfort?
When should a provider converse with the patient or discuss abnormal findings?
While pt is draped or dressed
What is the exam sequence?
Inspect, palpation, percussion, auscultation
What is the exam sequence for the abdomen?
Inspect, Auscultaton, palpatation, percussion
What should be done during an inspection?
What are the steps of palpation in an exam?
- involves use of hands and fingers to gather information through touch
- maintain short fingernails, warm hands if possible
- use palmer surface & finger pads for sensitivity
- use ulnar surface of hands to discern vibration
- use dorsal surface of hands to discern skin temperature
What is the ulnar surface of hands used to inspect?
vibration
What is the dorsal surface of the hands used to inspect?
skin temperature
How are percussions examined?
How are auscultations examined?
uses sound waves to detect body tissue density
percussion
When should auscultations be examined?
last except for abdomen
transmits low frequency sounds (when held lightly against area of auscultation)
bell of stethoscope
transmits high frequency sounds
diaphragm of stethoscope
What technique should be used when using a stethoscope?
less pressure for bell
more pressure for diaphragm
combine both bell (low frequency) and diaphragm (high frequency) into a single side of the chest piece. You control bell and diaphragm modes by pressure on the chest piece rather than by turning it over
The dual frequency diaphragm
What can be covered together during an examiniation?
general appearance/ mental status
What is the general survey for appearance?
What the components of the mental status examination?
What are common signs of distress that can be seen and adressed through observation?
What pain scale is used in adults, geratrics, adolescents, and children?
What are the steps used when a patient us unresponsive?
drowsy, open eyes and look at you, respond to questions, and then fall asleep, must speak to pt in a loud forceful manner
lethargic