Test Bank
for BATES' Guide to
Physical Examination
and History Taking
12th Edition
By Lynn S. Bickley
,Table of Contents
UNIT 1 – Foundations of Health Assessment
Chapter 1: Foundations for Clinical Proficiency
Chapter 2: Evaluating Clinical Evidence
Chapter 3: Interviewing and the Health History
UNIT 2 – Regional Examinations
Chapter 4: Beginning the Physical Examination: General Survey, Vital Signs, and Pain
Chapter 5: Behavior and Mental Status
Chapter 6: The Skin, Hair, and Nails
Chapter 7: The Head and Neck
Chapter 8: The Thorax and Lungs
Chapter 9: The Cardiovascular System
Chapter 10: The Breasts and Axillae
Chapter 11: The Abdomen
Chapter 12: The Peripheral Vascular System
Chapter 13: Male Genitalia and Hernias
Chapter 14: Female Genitalia
Chapter 15: The Anus, Rectum, and Prostate
Chapter 16: The Musculoskeletal System
Chapter 17: The Nervous System
UNIT 3 – Special Populations
Chapter 18: Assessing Children: Infancy Through Adolescence
Chapter 19: The Pregnant Woman
Chapter 20: The Older Adult
,Bates’ Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking, 12th Edition
Chapter 1: Overview: Physical Examination and History Taking
Multiple Choice
1. For which of the following patients would a comprehensive health history be appropriate?
A) A new patient with the chief complaint of “I sprained my ankle”
B) An established patient with the chief complaint of “I have an upper respiratory infection”
C ) A new patient with the chief complaint of “I am here to establish care”
D) A new patient with the chief complaint of “I cut my hand”
Ans: C
Chapter: 01
Page and Header: 4, Patient Assessment: Comprehensive or Focused
Feedback: This patient is here to establish care, and because she is new to you, a comprehensive
health history is appropriate.
2. The components of the health history include all of the following except which one?
A) Review of systems
B) Thorax and lungs
C) Present illness
D) Personal and social items
Ans: B
Chapter: 01
Page and Header: 4, Patient Assessment: Comprehensive or Focused
Feedback: The thorax and lungs are part of the physical examination, not part of the health
history. The others answers are all part of a complete health history.
3. Is the following information subjective or objective?
Mr. M. has shortness of breath that has persisted for the past 10 days; it is worse with activity
and relieved by rest.
, A) Subjective
B) Objective
Ans: A
Chapter: 01
Page and Header: 6, Differences Between Subjective and Objective Data
Feedback: This is information given by the patient about the circumstances of his chief
complaint. It does not represent an objective observation by the examiner.
4. Is the following information subjective or objective?
Mr. M. has a respiratory rate of 32 and a pulse rate of 120.
A) Subjective
B) Objective
Ans: B
Chapter: 01
Page and Header: 6, Differences Between Subjective and Objective Data
Feedback: This is a measurement obtained by the examiner, so it is considered objective data.
The patient is unlikely to be able to give this information to the examiner.
5. The following information is recorded in the health history: “The patient has had abdominal
pain for 1 week. The pain lasts for 30 minutes at a time; it comes and goes. The severity is 7 to 9
on a scale of 1 to 10. It is accompanied by nausea and vomiting. It is located in the mid-
epigastric area.”
Which of these categories does it belong to?
A) Chief complaint
B) Present illness
C) Personal and social history
D) Review of systems
Ans: B
Chapter: 01
Page and Header: 6, The Comprehensive Adult Health History
Feedback: This information describes the problem of abdominal pain, which is the present
illness. The interviewer has obtained the location, timing, severity, and associated manifestations
of the pain. The interviewer will still need to obtain information concerning the quality of the
pain, the setting in which it occurred, and the factors that aggravate and alleviate the pain. You
will notice that it does include portions of the pertinent review of systems, but because it relates
directly to the complaint, it is included in the history of present illness.
for BATES' Guide to
Physical Examination
and History Taking
12th Edition
By Lynn S. Bickley
,Table of Contents
UNIT 1 – Foundations of Health Assessment
Chapter 1: Foundations for Clinical Proficiency
Chapter 2: Evaluating Clinical Evidence
Chapter 3: Interviewing and the Health History
UNIT 2 – Regional Examinations
Chapter 4: Beginning the Physical Examination: General Survey, Vital Signs, and Pain
Chapter 5: Behavior and Mental Status
Chapter 6: The Skin, Hair, and Nails
Chapter 7: The Head and Neck
Chapter 8: The Thorax and Lungs
Chapter 9: The Cardiovascular System
Chapter 10: The Breasts and Axillae
Chapter 11: The Abdomen
Chapter 12: The Peripheral Vascular System
Chapter 13: Male Genitalia and Hernias
Chapter 14: Female Genitalia
Chapter 15: The Anus, Rectum, and Prostate
Chapter 16: The Musculoskeletal System
Chapter 17: The Nervous System
UNIT 3 – Special Populations
Chapter 18: Assessing Children: Infancy Through Adolescence
Chapter 19: The Pregnant Woman
Chapter 20: The Older Adult
,Bates’ Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking, 12th Edition
Chapter 1: Overview: Physical Examination and History Taking
Multiple Choice
1. For which of the following patients would a comprehensive health history be appropriate?
A) A new patient with the chief complaint of “I sprained my ankle”
B) An established patient with the chief complaint of “I have an upper respiratory infection”
C ) A new patient with the chief complaint of “I am here to establish care”
D) A new patient with the chief complaint of “I cut my hand”
Ans: C
Chapter: 01
Page and Header: 4, Patient Assessment: Comprehensive or Focused
Feedback: This patient is here to establish care, and because she is new to you, a comprehensive
health history is appropriate.
2. The components of the health history include all of the following except which one?
A) Review of systems
B) Thorax and lungs
C) Present illness
D) Personal and social items
Ans: B
Chapter: 01
Page and Header: 4, Patient Assessment: Comprehensive or Focused
Feedback: The thorax and lungs are part of the physical examination, not part of the health
history. The others answers are all part of a complete health history.
3. Is the following information subjective or objective?
Mr. M. has shortness of breath that has persisted for the past 10 days; it is worse with activity
and relieved by rest.
, A) Subjective
B) Objective
Ans: A
Chapter: 01
Page and Header: 6, Differences Between Subjective and Objective Data
Feedback: This is information given by the patient about the circumstances of his chief
complaint. It does not represent an objective observation by the examiner.
4. Is the following information subjective or objective?
Mr. M. has a respiratory rate of 32 and a pulse rate of 120.
A) Subjective
B) Objective
Ans: B
Chapter: 01
Page and Header: 6, Differences Between Subjective and Objective Data
Feedback: This is a measurement obtained by the examiner, so it is considered objective data.
The patient is unlikely to be able to give this information to the examiner.
5. The following information is recorded in the health history: “The patient has had abdominal
pain for 1 week. The pain lasts for 30 minutes at a time; it comes and goes. The severity is 7 to 9
on a scale of 1 to 10. It is accompanied by nausea and vomiting. It is located in the mid-
epigastric area.”
Which of these categories does it belong to?
A) Chief complaint
B) Present illness
C) Personal and social history
D) Review of systems
Ans: B
Chapter: 01
Page and Header: 6, The Comprehensive Adult Health History
Feedback: This information describes the problem of abdominal pain, which is the present
illness. The interviewer has obtained the location, timing, severity, and associated manifestations
of the pain. The interviewer will still need to obtain information concerning the quality of the
pain, the setting in which it occurred, and the factors that aggravate and alleviate the pain. You
will notice that it does include portions of the pertinent review of systems, but because it relates
directly to the complaint, it is included in the history of present illness.
