29
data about the patient's physical status objecctive data is obtained by patient report through history taking and interviewing subjective what is a visual examination of all parts of body inspection what do we inspect for size, shape, color, symmetry, position, abnormalities, compare w/ same area on the opposite side of body, and use additional light if needed and for body cavities what is the term for touching- feeling w/ fingers and hands palpation how might you encourage relaxation beofore you palpate advise the client you are to touch him and use a gentle approach what areas would you palpate last tender areas what does the dorsal surfaceof your hand palpate temperature what does your finger tips palpate texture, size, consistency, pulsation, form and shape, what does your palmer surface palpate vibration what could happen if you obstructed blood flow over carotid arteries you could reduce circulation to the brain or cause changes in heart flow what is referred to as tapping the body w/ percussion

Physical Assessment

Embed Size (px)

DESCRIPTION

Nclex Review Guide!

Citation preview

Page 1: Physical Assessment

data about the patient's physical status

objecctive

data is obtained by patient report through history taking and interviewing

subjective

what is a visual examination of all parts of body

inspection

what do we inspect forsize, shape, color, symmetry, position, abnormalities, compare w/ same area on the opposite side of body, and use additional light if needed and for body cavities

what is the term for touching- feeling w/ fingers and hands

palpation

how might you encourage relaxation beofore you palpate

advise the client you are to touch him and use a gentle approach

what areas would you palpate last

tender areas

what does the dorsal surfaceof your hand palpate

temperature

what does your finger tips palpate

texture, size, consistency, pulsation, form and shape,

what does your palmer surface palpate

vibration

what could happen if you obstructed blood flow over carotid arteries

you could reduce circulation to the brain or cause changes in heart flow

what is referred to as tapping the body w/ fingertips to evaluate size, borders, density air or fluid

percussion

when you tap lightly with the pads of the fingers on the the skin what is that refered to

direct percussion

this is used more frequently and is requires both hands in reference to percussion

indirect percussion

is listening to sounds auscultation

what is usually performed last auscultation

Page 2: Physical Assessment

after inspection, palpation, and percussion except when assessing the abdomen

what is direct auscultation is listening w/out using an instrument

what is indirect auscultation is listening w/ the help of a stethoscope

name the 5 major parts of the stethoscope

earpieces, binaurals, tubing, bell chestpiece, and diaphragm chest piece

dual tubes promote sound clarity

what do you listen w/ to listen to high pitched sounds

diaphragm

what do you listen w/ to listen to low pitched sounds such as extra heart sounds

bell

when during the physical assessment would you need to wear gloves

if exposure to body fluids is a possibility

where would you place a stethoscope

on skin, not over the clothes because the clothes will add or obscure sounds and interfere w/ accurate assessment

what are some things you would do in order to get ready for an assessment

wash hands, environmental noise, remember to protect the patient's privacy, inform the patient that you are going to do an assessmetn before you start and explain what you are doing throughout the procedure, assess the limitations fo your patient so that you will know how to assest them, gather equipment

what are the two methods to use on an assessment

head to toe, and body systems method

what is the most efficient method in assessing a client

head to toe

what is the first step is assessing a client

general survey as soon as you walk in you will be gathering information about their health status

what are some things you would assess under general appearance and behavior

gender and race, age, are there any signs of distress such as sob, decreasede alertnes, signs of pain, sweating, abnormal color, body type, posture, gait, body movements, hygiene and grooming, dress, body odor, affect adn mood and mental state, speech, sign of abuse

Page 3: Physical Assessment

when you are assessing age what are looking for

do they appear their stated age or look oler or younger? this tells you something about their health status

what are you assessing in the client who is not dressed normal

an unkept appearance may reflect chronic pain, fatigue, depression or low self esteem

what are you assessing in the body type

are they overweight or underweight. do they have good muscle tone an dappear physically fit or do they appear out of shape and debilitated

If daily weights are ordered make sure that they are done when

at the same time, usually before breakfast on teh same scales w/ the same clothes

who would require daily wts. pts. w/ fluid balance due to heart or kidney disease.

What part of the assessment would provide valuable information about your client's growth and development nutritional status overall general health and required dosages for medication

height and weight assessment

abnormal skin lesions may reflect abnormal conditions of what?

the skin or of internal pathological processes

information gained from assessment of skin includes the status of

circulation, oxygenation, nutrition, hydration and certain metabolic and endocrine conditions

what is the term used to describe a blue gray coloration of the skin often described as ashen

cyanosis

in light skinned clients skin appars whit loss of pink or yellow tones

pallor

a yellow orange cast to the skin

jaundice

a reddened area erythema

may be related to poor circulation or a low hemoglobin level (anemia)

pallor

Page 4: Physical Assessment

best sites to assess include the oral mucous membranes, conjunctiva, nail beds, palms, and soles of feet

if seen in the lips, mucous membranes, and facial features it si known as central cyanosis and is associated w/ hypoxia may also be seen in the extremities, especially hands adn feet, after exposure to extreme cold

cyanosis

often associated w/ liver disorders. Best sites to assess include the sclera, muchouls membranes, hard palate of the mouth, palms and soles

jaundice

associated w/ rashes, skin infections, and prolonged pressure on teh skin

erythema

what will you use to assess skin temp.

the dorsum of the hand or fingers

what may stimulate the metabolisma nd may also cause an elevation in skin temp

hyperthyroidism

erythema accompanied by warmth may indicate

infection or inflammatory

what is a normal skin moisture assessment

skin is warm and dry

excessive moisture may result from

hyperthermia, thyroid hyperactivity, anxiety or hyperhidrosis

dry skin may result fromdehydration, chronic renal failure, hypothyroidism, excessive exposure, or overzealous hygiene

what is the normal skin texture is smooth and soft

what may be some factors effecting the skin texture

exposure, age, hyperthyroidism and other endocrine disorders, impaired circulation

Page 5: Physical Assessment

refers to the elasticity of the skin,

turgor

skin tenting refers to dehydration in skin tugor

what are white normal raised areas on the nose chin and forehead of newborns due to sebum

milia

how do primary skin lesions develop

develop as a result of disease or irritation ex pustules of acne

how do secondary lesions develop

develop from primary lesions as a result of continued illness, exposure, injory or infection, such as the crusts that form from ruptured pustules

what is ABCDEa is for asymemetry, b border irregularity, c color, d diameter greater than .5 cm, e elevation above the surface

what are due to pigmented cells in the deeper areas of skin adn fade as the child matures (blue-black areas seen on lower back and buttocks of african/asian/native american)

mongolian spots

sometimes known as stork bites are small irregular pink red areas that are often seen around the face and neck in newborns

capillary hemangiomas

ecchymosis is a color variation what is the description and significance of its meaning

bruised (blue-green-yellow) area may be seen anywhere on teh body. the color will vary based on teh age fo the injury may indicate abuse

flat and colored ex. freckle birthmark, mongolian spot

macule

elevated and raised by superficial ex. moles psoriasis

papule

a small circumscribed area distinct from surrounding surface in character and appearnce

patch

a patch on the skin or on a mucouls surface

plaque

Page 6: Physical Assessment

elevated solid and firm w/ depth into dermis ex. wart

nodule

hive/ elevated superficial w/ localized edema ex. insect bite

wheal

palpable fluid filled and encapsulated

keratogenous cyst

blisters elevated and filled w/ serrous fluid ex. blister, herpes,

vesicle

elevated and filled w/ pus ex. acne falliculitis impetigo

pustule

What information can you gather by inspecting the nails?

a change in nail shape may indicate underlying disease

which the nail plate is 180 deg. or more

clubbing is associated w/ long term hypoxic states, such as occurs w/ chronic lung disease

what is the term used that may result from iron deficiency in ref to nails

spoon shaped nails

healthy nail beds arelevel, firm, and similar to the color of the skin, nail is smooth and uniform in texture w/ a 160deg. nail plate angle

white spots in the nails represent

may indicate zinc deficiency

black nails are due to blood under the nail, are seen after local trauma

what is referred to as small hemorrhages under the nail bed associated w/ bacterial endocarditis or trauma

splinter hemorrhages

which are transverse white lines in teh nail bed. seen in clients who have experienced sever illnesses

mee's lines

which a distal band of reddish pink covers 20 to 60% of the nail occur in clients w/ low albumin levels or renal disease

half and half nails

what is capillary refill and how do you assess it what does an

briefly press the tip of the nail w/ firm steady presure then release and observe for changes in color this test assesses

Page 7: Physical Assessment

abnormal capillary refill indicate?

circulartory adequacy rather than the nails

what is a common complaint w/ skin conditions

pruritis

the scalp is assessed for lesions, lumps, bruises, lice and abnormal hair distribution

what is referred to as excessive facial or trunk hair may be due ot endocrine disorder or steroids

hirsutism

what is referred to hair loss can be caused by chemotherapy for the treatment fo cancer or by nutritional deficiencies or by endocrine disorders

alopecia

what is pediculosis head lice infestation

Inspect head and neck forsize, symmetry, and presence fo nodules, masses, and bulges, shape

normocephalic normal head

microcephalyan abnormally small head size is seen in clients w/ certain types of mental retardation

a disorder associated w/ excess growth hormone

acromegaly

an accumulation of excessive cerebrospinal fluid

hydrocephalus

disease fo the lymph nodes lymphadenopathy

irregular jaw movement or cracking of the jaw

TMJ, temperomandibular joint syndrome

When assessing the clients eyes what do you inspect

do they wear glasses, contact lenses? inspect and palpate the external eye structues, assess vision and examine the internal eye structures

double vision is the perception of two images from a single object

diplopia

associated w/ hyperthyroidism failure of or both pupils to accomadate may reflect a

exopthalmos

Page 8: Physical Assessment

cranial nerve III

a drooping of the lid ptosis

a white ring encircling the outer rim of the cornea

arous senilis

lack of coordination between the eyes as a result the eyes look in different direction and do not focus on the same time

strabismus

the medical term for cross eyed strabismus

puffiness of the eye periorbital edema

an inflammation fo the conjunctiva

conjunctivitis

the medical term for pink eye conjunctivitis

scleral icterus a way of determining jaundice in the sclera of the eye

what is are you inspecting in reference to the general appearance of the eye

note irritation, discharge, swelling

what are some signs of respiratory distress

sob, restlessness, decreased mental alertness, cyanosis, pallor, nasal flaring, orthopnea, intercostal retractions, use of accessory muscles, increased heart rate

What does barrel ches look like and when would it be present

used to describe the rounded, barrell shap of the chest that can occur in people w/ chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) such as emphyema

Which part of the stethoscope is used to listen to the lungs

diaphragm

what are soft low pitched breezy sounds w/ a lengthy inspiratory phase adn a short expiratory

vesicular breath sounds

which breath sounds are heard over the 1st and 2nd ICS adjacent to the sternum on teh anterior chest and between teh scapula on teh

bronchovesicular breath sounds

Page 9: Physical Assessment

posterior chest

What breath sounds are medium pitched w/ an equal inspiratory and expiratory phase

bronchovesicular breath sounds

Auscultation 6 places front and back what are some of the breath sounds you will hear

normal, decreased, diminished, absent, increased adventitious voice sounds

if you there are no breathing sounds in that area that may represent what

absent breathing sounds may be an ex. of a punctured lung, collapsed or if they removed a portion of the lung

what is the term to describe additional sounds that are not the normal lung sounds

adventitious

what do you inspect in ref. to nose

placement, nasal flaring(difficulty breathing), drainage, nasal mucosa, deviated septum

what is the term used to described difficulty breathing while lying down

orthopnea

what is the 1st sign of lack of oxygen

restlessness

what are some subjective data when inspecting the thorax and lungs

cough, chest pain, history of resp. infections, smoking history (pack/years), environmental exposure, self-care behaviors

tachypnea rapid respiration

hyperventilation increased respiration

rapid deep breathing w/out pauses more than 20min in adults labored breathing that sounds like sighs

Kussmaul's respirations

slow respiration poor gas exchange

hypoventilation

slow breathing increase breath, apnea then slow and increase....

cheyne-stokes respirations

Kyphosis hunch back hump back

Page 10: Physical Assessment

Scoliosis S curve back

when observe the ches what are some ex that you may possibly see in ref. to shape and symmetry

barrell chest, pectus excavatum, pectus carinatum, scoliosis, kyphosis,

deformities of the chest sternum oun

pectus excavatum

deformities of the chest sternum in

pectus carinatum

Plapation of the chest place palms lightly over chest and palpate for

masses, tenderness, alignment, retractions of chest or intercostal spaces

Palpation of the chest using fingertips to feel for

lumps, scars, lesions, ulcerations, temperatures, turgor, moisture, subcuaneous crepitus (feels like rice crispies under the skin some air leakage under the skin)

When you place open palms on both sides of pt. back and anterior chest and ask pt. to say "ninety-nine" loud enough for you to feel vibrations what are you assessing

assessing tactile fremitus

what is the interpretation of tactile fremitus

vibrations will be more intense in areas of tissue consoliation

less intense vibrations in assessing tactile fremitus may mean

presence of empysema, pneumothorax, or pleural effusion

If vibrations in upper posterior thorax are faint or absent, there may be

bronchial obstruction or a fluid filled pleural sapce

what are some Percussion sounds you may hear in the chest

resonance, dull sounds, hyperresonance, and abnormal dullness

heard over normal lung tissue

resonance

heard over heart dull sounds

Page 11: Physical Assessment

heard if there is increased air in lung or pleural space

hyperresonance

found w/ areas of decreased air in lungs

abnormal dullness

punctured lung neumothorax

what is an example of an adventitious breath sound

crackles, rhonchi, wheezes, stridor, pleural friction rub

what are some normal breath sounds

tracheal breath sounds, bronchial breath sounds, bronchovesicular breath sounds, vesicular

what are the sounds you hear over teh trachea, harsh, high pitched and less during inspiration (deeper sound)

tracheal breath sounds

what are the sounds you hear next to trachea, loud, hight pitched the inspiration is greater than the expiration

bronchial breath sounds

what are the sounds you heard next to sternum and between scapulae medium in loudness and pitch and the sound of the inspiration and expiration are equal

bronchovesicular breath sounds

heard in rest of lung (peripery) soft and low pitched inspiration greater than expiration

vesicular

You would listen to this at an angle also known as fluid in the lungs

crackles

three types of crackles coarse, medium, fine

the frying popping, moist, low pitched sound here it during the inspiration and some expiration is referred to as

a course crackle

where do you find the medium crackle

found in mid inspiration and its not as loud as course

Page 12: Physical Assessment

its a non continuous popping high pitched and heard at the end of inspiration

fine crackle

its a continuos, low pitched, rattling sound heard during the expiration, usually can be cleared by coughing caused by fluid partially blocking large airways

rhonci

contiunous high pitched sound during the inspiration or expiration or both caused by constricion of airway with reultant blockage of air

wheezes

its like breathing out of a straw whistling sound trying to breathe w/ a constricted airflow

wheezes

decreased fluid causes pain everytime you breathe

pleural friction rub

low pitched grating rubbing inspiration and expiration caused by inflammation of pleura may have pain where heard

pleural friction rub

what are bronchophony and egophony and whispered pectoriloquy

voice sounds

when you have patient repeat "ninety nine" while you auscultate lung fields what is this representing

bronchophony,

words will sound muffled over normal lung fields

words will be louder over consolidation

asking the patient to say "E" while auscultating the lung represents what

egophony

sound is muffled over normal lung fields, will sound like letter "A" over consolidation

having the patient whisper "123" while auscultating the lung represents

whispered pectoriloquy;

numbers hard to distinguish over normalo lung fields, numbers will be loud and clear over consolidation

Chest pain, dyspnea, orthopnea, cough, fatigue, cyanosis or pallor edema nocturia, past cardiac history, family cardiac history, personal habits all represent what

subjective data on heart and neck vessels

Page 13: Physical Assessment

kind of data

when assessing the carotid artery you would

palpate medial to sternomastoid muscle and auscultate fro bruits

palpating the medial to sternomastoid muscle for the carotid arter you

avoid excessive pressure, palpate one at a time, note contour and amplitude, should be same bilaterally

how do you auscultate for bruits at the carotid artery

use bell of stethoscope, listen for blowing, swishing sound indicating turbulent blood flow, normally none present

What are the two vessels you would inspect

carotid artery and jugular veins

appetite, dysphagia, food intolerance, abdominal pain, nausea/vomiting bowel habits, past abdominal history, medictions nutritional assessment is what kind of data

subjective

What are the three things you should do upon inspection of an abdomen

inspect, auscultate, then percuss and palpate

(look, listen, and feel)

when ispecting an abdomen what do you look for

symmetry, contour, discomort, splinting, guarding, lesions, scars, brusing, discoloration, swelling, bulges, distention, ostomies, drains, dressings

how would you recognize ascites?

if a patient appears to have ascites you would get a tape measure and measure the abdomianl girth. THis would give yo a baseline to go by and future measurements would indicate if and how fast more fluid is accumulating

what part of the stethoscope is used for auscultating bowel sounds

diaphragm

what is the normal rate of bowl sounds per minute?

5-35 normal

what is the term to describe hunger pains or stomach growling

borborygmus

where do you check for bowel sounds

in all four quadrants

Page 14: Physical Assessment

inspecting the skin on the abdomen what might you find or are you looking for

smooth and even, color, (jaundice, redness, striae, moles, petehiae, cutaneous angioma) taut, and shiny ascites, lesions rashes

bowel sounds over 35 are loud, high pitched rushing, tinkiling is considered to be

hyperactive may be diarrhea

bowel sounds less than 5hypoactive may be bowl obstruction, after surgery, constipated

if there are no bowel sounds in what do you do

listen for 5 minutes

when listening to the vascular sounds in the abdomen what are you listening for and what do you listen w/

listen w/ bell and listen for bruits over aorta, renal,illiac, adn femoral arteries

Palpating the abdomen forsize, location, consistency of organs, abnormal masses, tenderndess do last

there are three things to look for when you are palpating the abdomen in ref to tenderness

voluntary guarding, involuntary rigidity, rebound tenderness

cold, ticklish, tense would be considered what in ref. to abdomen

voluntary guarding

constant board like hardness would be considered what in ref to abdomen

involuntary rigidity

pain on release of pressure in ref to abdom is considered what

rebound tenderness

percussing the abdomen wherecostovertebral angle tenderness; place one hand over 12th rib at CVA on back

what do you do when percussing the abdomen and what are your results

place one hand over 12th rib at CVA on back thump that hand w/ ulnar edge of other hand client should feel thud, but no pain, sharp pain occurs w/ kidney inflammation

where is the apex of the heart located

5th intercostal space at the left midclavicular line

what is the structure assessed mitral valve

Page 15: Physical Assessment

in the apex

what is located in the 4th ICS on left sternal border

tricuspid valve

what is located in the 2nd ICS left sternal border

pulmonic valve

what is located in the 2nd ICS right sternal border

aoritic valve

in order to thoroughly assess heart sounds, you would ausculatate where first

the aortic area

what is the mnemonic you may use to recall the order of the heart

Aunt Polly Takes Meds

Aortic, Pulmonic, Tricuspid, Mitral

what is the first heart sound S1 or lub

S1 marks the beginning of what

systole

S1(lub) is a what kind of sound sow-pitched sound

The S1 may be heard in all locations on the chest but where will it be the loudest

over the mitral tricuspid

what does the first heart sound result from

the closure of the valves between the atria and ventricles

what is the second heart sound you hear

S2 or dub

what does the S2 correspond to

closure of the semilunar valves

you can hear the S2 in all locations but it is loudest

at the aortic and pulmonic areas

a third heart sound (S3) is heard when

immediately after S2 has a gallop cadence that follows the rhythm of the word KenTUcky

when is a S3 normalin young children and adolescents when they are sitting or lying ,but disappears when they stand or sit up. Also a normal variant in the third trimester of pregnancy

when is a S3 abnormal when it does not disappear w/ position change represents

Page 16: Physical Assessment

heart failure or volume overload

A fourth heart sound (S4) heard when

immediately before S1 has a rhythm FLOrida

for whom is the S4 normal trained athletes and some older clients

Both S3 and S4 are best heard where

at the apical site, w/ the client lying on his left side, and using the bell of the stethoscope

S4 is normal w/ trained athletes and may also be heard in adults w/ what

coroanry artery disease, hypertension, and pulmonic stenosis

what are additonal sounds produced by turbulent flow through the heart

murmors

what consists of a network of arteries and veins that transport oxygen, carbon dioxide and nutrients to the cells of the body

vascular system

what refers to the contraction or emptying of the ventricles

systole

what refers to the relaxation or filling phase of the ventricles

dystole

where does the heart sitat an angle on the left side of the chest in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th intercostal spaces.

listen for murmors w/ what the bell of the stethoscope

what is the ausculation technique for the heart assessment

begin w/ diaphragm listen to one sonund at a time, note rate an drhythm, indentify S1 and S2 assess them seperately, listen for extra heart sounds, and listen for murmous w/ bell

presence of an S3 in adults over 30 indicate

ventricular failure (CHF)

increased velocity of blood, decreased viscosity of blood and structural defects or unusual openings are all symptoms of a

murmor

this is caused by turbulent blood flow and currents

murmurs

this is used w/ the bell and best murmurs

Page 17: Physical Assessment

heard at herb's point

its a gentle blowing swooshing sound in the heart

murmor

when assessing a murmor you assess what

the pattern, quality, location, radiation, and posture

what is the norm for a heart beat

60 to 100 beats per minute

this occurs normally in young adults and children, rate increases w/ inspiration slows expiration in reference to the heart

sinus arrhthmia

leg pain or cramps, skin changes on arms or legs, swelling, lymph node enlargement, and medication are all what kind of data in the peripheral vascular system

subjective

inspect and palpate what for the peripheral vascular system

arms, legs,

when inspecting the legs what do you assess

symmetry, pulses, temperature, lesions, measure calf circumference if discrepency and palpate lymph nodes

when inspecting the arms what do you assess

assess symmetry pulses, lesions

pulses are located wheretemporal, carotid, apical, brachial, radial, femoral, popliteasl, pedal

what is the pulse amplitude

4+ is bounding

3+ is increased

2+ is normal

1+ is weak

0 is absent

if you can't locate the pedal pulse you would then

ck. temp., ck capillary refill but if the refill is slow then use a doppler to validate it get another nurse and then call dr. that is considered a significant finding

when assessing for homan's w/ client in supine position dorsiflet food towards tibi, this should

Page 18: Physical Assessment

sign how would you position the client

not cause pain calf pain may indicate deep vein thrombosis, phlebitis, tendonitis, muscle injury or lumbosacral disorders

inspecting the umbilicus you would look for

position, color, and if its inverted

if the color of the umbilical cord is a bluish color what does this mean

this occurs with intraabdominal bleeding (cullen's sign)

if the umbilicus is everted this could mean what

ascites, mass, hernia

musculoskeletal system: when their is pain, stiffness, swelling, heat and redness, and limitation of movement this is what type of data

subjective

palpate joints for what warmth, swelling, tenderness, massess

asses the joints forrange of motion, and muscle tone and strength compare both sides of the body

inspect the joints forsize and contour, joint deformities, skin color, swelling, observe gait and posture, note lordosis, kyphosis, scoliosis

what are some ex. of subjective data in the neurologic system

headache, hgead injury, dizzines/vertigo, seizures, tremors, weakness, incoordination, numbness or tingling, difficulty in swallowing, difficulty speaking, significant past history, environmental occupational hazards

what do you assess in the neurological system

level of consciousness, orientation, glascow coma scale, speech, memory lapses, deficits, coordination and balance

what are the equipment needed for an exam in assessing the neurological system

penlight, tongue blade, cotton swab, cotton ball, tuning fork, percussion hammer, occasionally: familiar aromatic substance

what cranial nerves are you testing for in the neurologic system assessment

cranial nerve II opic

cranial nerve III, IV, VI occulomotor, trochlear, and abducens nerves

cranial nerve V trigeminal, and cranial nerve VII facial mobility

what might the nurse use to scren for visual acuity

snellen chart

if a person has 20/40 vision, what does this mean

that to see lines of print that a person w/ normal vision can read at 40 ft. the client has to stand just 20 ft. from the snellen chart

Page 19: Physical Assessment

what does nasal flaring indicate

difficulty breathing

what would cause pallor

a reduced amt. of oxyhemoglobin in skin or mucous membrane a pale color which can be caused by illness, emotional shock or stress, avoiding excessive exposure to sunlight anaemia or genetics

thick elevated white patches that do not scrape off may be precancerous and called what

leukoplakia

white curdy patches that scrape off and bleed indicate thrush also known as

leukoplakia

thrush is a fungal infection

commonly called yeast infection or thrush is a fungal infection of any candida specias

candidiasis

black hairy tongue an overgrowth of bacteria in the mouth

refers to gingival inflammation induced by bacterial biofilms (also called plaque) adherent to tooth surface

gingivitis

an acute hemorrhage for the nostril, nasal cavity or nasopharynx also known as a nosebleed

epistaxis

during a routine bedside assessment we are most commonly assessing which pulses

radial and the pedal

we usually determine the rate and regularity of pulses using the radial site. If the pulse is faint or irregular it

not only compare it to the opposite side but to also listen to the apical pulse to determine rate and regularity

Page 20: Physical Assessment

would be important to what

when we check pedal pulses we are determining what

if they are present and if they are fainto or strong we are not concerned w/ counting the rate of the pedal pulses we want to know if the pt. has good circulation in the extremeties

there are times when "neurochecks" are ordered by the physician or the nurse this might be after what happens

a fall if the pt. hits his head after cranial surgery after head injury if pt has decreasing LOC or other conditions where brain swelling/compression might be likely to occur

neurochecks usually includeLOC and orientation, PERRLA, ability to follow commands, ability to move all extremities, muscle strength

inspect the external ears for position, condition of the skin, presence of lesions, and drainage

vertigoa specific type of dizziness, is a major symptom of a bal. disorder

tinnitis ringing of the ears

CVA tenderness (costovertebral angle tenderness) using the fist or blunt percussion where the end of the rib cage meets the spine bilaterally to assess for

kidney tenderness

what would be the abnormal findings for cva tenderness

associated w/ kidney infection, or musculoskeletal problems

what are some abnormal gaits

propulsive, scissors, spastic, steppage and waddling

this is an abnormal gait and is when a person is leaning forward

propulsive

an abnormal gait when knees turn in toward each other

scissors

wht is steppage referred to in an abnormal gait

foot lifted high to clear the toes, no heel strike, toes hit first

waddling is an abnormal gait what does it look like

feet wide, duck like

spastic is an abnormal gait stiff leg mvmt while walking

Page 21: Physical Assessment

what does it look like

how would you recognize ascites

by the distention of the stomach

what would you do to assess ascites

use a measuring tape to measure the girth. stretch/place measuring tape over belly button, the 1 inch mark should be @ the belly button mark on the stomach w/ a pen and this will be your baseline ck. again later using same techniques

when might sounds be absent or hypoactive in the bowel

after abdominal surgery or w/ bowl obstruction infection,or innervation problems

when might sounds be hyperactive in the bowel

w/ diarrhea, early bowl obstruction or gastroenteritis

lung sounds will be normal in 48 hrs is what step in the nursing process

planning

ineffective airway clearence is what step in the nursing process

nursing diagnosis

lung sounds reveal rhonchus in the upper lobe is what step in the nursing process

assessment

have client deep breathe and cough every 2 hrs. 4-5 times a day is what step in the nursing process

implementation

lung sounds clear in upper lobes following coughing. continue deep breathing every 2-4 hr. is what step in the nursing process

evaluation