NUR 155 GALEN EXAM 4 COMPREHENSIVE
SCRIPT 2026 QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS
◉ What are the basic techniques of physical assessment? Answer:
inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation
◉ Define inspection Answer: looking over; using all 5 senses
◉ define palpation Answer: light, moderate or deep touching
◉ define percussion Answer: direct, blunt or indirect tapping to
produce sound
◉ define auscultation Answer: listing to sounds produced by
internal organs. Usually done to evaluate:
1. heart
2. lungs
3. abdomen
◉ What are the 5 percussion sounds? Answer: flatness, dullness,
resonance, hyperresonance, and tympany
,◉ describe the percussion sound flatness Answer: soft intensity,
high pitch, short duration, extremely dull quality.
EX: muscle, bone
◉ Describe the percussion sound dullness Answer: medium
intensity, medium pitch, moderate duration, thudlike sound
EX: heart, liver
◉ describe the percussion sound resonance Answer: loud intensity,
low pitch, long duration, hollow sound
EX: normal lungs
◉ describe the percussion sound hyperresonance Answer: very low
intensity, very low pitch, very long duration, and booming sound
EX: emphysematous lung
◉ describe the percussion sound tympany Answer: loud intensity,
high pitch, moderate duration, musical sound
EX: stomach filled with gas
◉ What are the 8 supplies used for a health assessment? Answer:
penlight, opthalmoscope, otoscope, percussion hammer, tuning fork,
cotton applicators, gloves, tongue blades
, ◉ What is a penlight used for? Answer: assist in viewing of the
pharynx or to determine reactions of the pupils of the eye
◉ what is an ophthalmoscope used for? Answer: to visualize the
interior of the eye
◉ What is an otoscope used for? Answer: visualize eardrum and
external auditory canal.
Could be used to view nasal passages
◉ what is a percussion hammer used for? Answer: test reflexes
◉ What is a tuning fork used for? Answer: test hearing acuity and
vibratory sense
◉ What are cotton applicators used for? Answer: to obtain
specimens
◉ What are gloves used for? Answer: to protect the nurse and
patients
◉ What are tongue blades used for? Answer: to depress the tongue
during assessment of the mouth and pharynx
SCRIPT 2026 QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS
◉ What are the basic techniques of physical assessment? Answer:
inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation
◉ Define inspection Answer: looking over; using all 5 senses
◉ define palpation Answer: light, moderate or deep touching
◉ define percussion Answer: direct, blunt or indirect tapping to
produce sound
◉ define auscultation Answer: listing to sounds produced by
internal organs. Usually done to evaluate:
1. heart
2. lungs
3. abdomen
◉ What are the 5 percussion sounds? Answer: flatness, dullness,
resonance, hyperresonance, and tympany
,◉ describe the percussion sound flatness Answer: soft intensity,
high pitch, short duration, extremely dull quality.
EX: muscle, bone
◉ Describe the percussion sound dullness Answer: medium
intensity, medium pitch, moderate duration, thudlike sound
EX: heart, liver
◉ describe the percussion sound resonance Answer: loud intensity,
low pitch, long duration, hollow sound
EX: normal lungs
◉ describe the percussion sound hyperresonance Answer: very low
intensity, very low pitch, very long duration, and booming sound
EX: emphysematous lung
◉ describe the percussion sound tympany Answer: loud intensity,
high pitch, moderate duration, musical sound
EX: stomach filled with gas
◉ What are the 8 supplies used for a health assessment? Answer:
penlight, opthalmoscope, otoscope, percussion hammer, tuning fork,
cotton applicators, gloves, tongue blades
, ◉ What is a penlight used for? Answer: assist in viewing of the
pharynx or to determine reactions of the pupils of the eye
◉ what is an ophthalmoscope used for? Answer: to visualize the
interior of the eye
◉ What is an otoscope used for? Answer: visualize eardrum and
external auditory canal.
Could be used to view nasal passages
◉ what is a percussion hammer used for? Answer: test reflexes
◉ What is a tuning fork used for? Answer: test hearing acuity and
vibratory sense
◉ What are cotton applicators used for? Answer: to obtain
specimens
◉ What are gloves used for? Answer: to protect the nurse and
patients
◉ What are tongue blades used for? Answer: to depress the tongue
during assessment of the mouth and pharynx
