PHYSICAL EXAMINATION AND HISTORY
TAKING ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS COMPLETE MEDICAL
STUDY GUIDE
●● Components of health history
Answer: Includes review of systems, present illness, personal and social
items, but excludes thorax and lungs.
●● Subjective information
Answer: Information given by the patient about their symptoms, such as
shortness of breath.
●● Objective information
Answer: Measurements obtained by the examiner, such as respiratory
rate and pulse rate.
●● Present illness
Answer: Describes the current health problem, including details like
location, timing, severity, and associated symptoms.
●● Personal and social history
,Answer: Includes educational level, family status, employment, and
lifestyle factors.
●● Chief complaint
Answer: The primary issue reported by the patient, often quoted in their
own words.
●● Review of systems
Answer: Documents the presence or absence of common symptoms
related to each major body system.
●● Surgeries
Answer: Records surgical procedures the patient has undergone, such as
cesarean sections.
●● Adult illnesses
Answer: Includes chronic illnesses, significant hospitalizations, and
major procedures.
●● Asthma exacerbation
Answer: A significant respiratory event that may require hospitalization.
●● Musculoskeletal chest pain
,Answer: Chest pain that may be due to conditions like costochondritis or
intercostal muscle cramp, worsened by chest wall motion.
●● Cardiac disorders
Answer: Conditions like congestive heart failure that are likely to cause
symptoms such as shortness of breath.
●● Thorax and lungs
Answer: Part of the physical examination, not included in the health
history.
●● Respiratory rate
Answer: A measurement of breaths per minute, considered objective
data.
●● Pulse rate
Answer: A measurement of heartbeats per minute, considered objective
data.
●● Severity scale
Answer: A method to quantify pain, often rated from 1 to 10.
●● Nausea and vomiting
, Answer: Symptoms that may accompany abdominal pain.
●● Mid-epigastric area
Answer: The location in the abdomen where the patient reports pain.
●● Patient assessment
Answer: The process of gathering comprehensive or focused health
information about a patient.
●● Health history categories
Answer: Include chief complaint, present illness, personal and social
history, and review of systems.
●● Significant hospitalization
Answer: An important event in a patient's health history, such as
treatment for asthma.
●● Pleuritic chest pain
Answer: Sharp chest pain that increases with deep breathing, often due
to pleural inflammation.
●● Emergency room evaluation
Answer: Assessment of acute symptoms, such as shortness of breath.
TAKING ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS COMPLETE MEDICAL
STUDY GUIDE
●● Components of health history
Answer: Includes review of systems, present illness, personal and social
items, but excludes thorax and lungs.
●● Subjective information
Answer: Information given by the patient about their symptoms, such as
shortness of breath.
●● Objective information
Answer: Measurements obtained by the examiner, such as respiratory
rate and pulse rate.
●● Present illness
Answer: Describes the current health problem, including details like
location, timing, severity, and associated symptoms.
●● Personal and social history
,Answer: Includes educational level, family status, employment, and
lifestyle factors.
●● Chief complaint
Answer: The primary issue reported by the patient, often quoted in their
own words.
●● Review of systems
Answer: Documents the presence or absence of common symptoms
related to each major body system.
●● Surgeries
Answer: Records surgical procedures the patient has undergone, such as
cesarean sections.
●● Adult illnesses
Answer: Includes chronic illnesses, significant hospitalizations, and
major procedures.
●● Asthma exacerbation
Answer: A significant respiratory event that may require hospitalization.
●● Musculoskeletal chest pain
,Answer: Chest pain that may be due to conditions like costochondritis or
intercostal muscle cramp, worsened by chest wall motion.
●● Cardiac disorders
Answer: Conditions like congestive heart failure that are likely to cause
symptoms such as shortness of breath.
●● Thorax and lungs
Answer: Part of the physical examination, not included in the health
history.
●● Respiratory rate
Answer: A measurement of breaths per minute, considered objective
data.
●● Pulse rate
Answer: A measurement of heartbeats per minute, considered objective
data.
●● Severity scale
Answer: A method to quantify pain, often rated from 1 to 10.
●● Nausea and vomiting
, Answer: Symptoms that may accompany abdominal pain.
●● Mid-epigastric area
Answer: The location in the abdomen where the patient reports pain.
●● Patient assessment
Answer: The process of gathering comprehensive or focused health
information about a patient.
●● Health history categories
Answer: Include chief complaint, present illness, personal and social
history, and review of systems.
●● Significant hospitalization
Answer: An important event in a patient's health history, such as
treatment for asthma.
●● Pleuritic chest pain
Answer: Sharp chest pain that increases with deep breathing, often due
to pleural inflammation.
●● Emergency room evaluation
Answer: Assessment of acute symptoms, such as shortness of breath.
