Deck 16: Physical Examination Secondary Assessment

Question 1

There are three components to every physical exam: (1) inspection, (2) palpation, and (3) pressure.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Trauma-related concerns are a relatively insignificant portion of the requests for assistance encountered by Paramedics.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Pronator drift is tested by asking the seated patient to hold her arms out with the palms facing the ceiling and then close her eyes.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

After performing the initial assessment and determining patient priority, the next step in patient assessment is to conduct the appropriate history and physical exam.

Question 5

An increase in EtCO₂ level during mechanical ventilation may indicate the patient has become hypotensive.

Question 6

The objective of the neurological examination is to assess for deficits that may be caused by a stroke or other brain event that may be related to high blood pressure.

Question 7

Sensation and motor function to the face are carried by the fifth and sixth cranial nerves, respectively.

Question 8

Observing the patient's posture and apparent level of distress can give clues to the severity of the illness.

Question 9

A flail segment paradoxically moves opposite the rest of the chest during inspiration and expiration.

Question 10

Respirations are assessed by observing the respiratory rate, depth, pattern, and work of breathing.

Question 11

By developing excellent physical examination skills, the Paramedic can determine a treatment plan when the history does not clearly provide a guide.

Question 12

Palpation takes a single form regardless of the abnormality the Paramedic is assessing.

Question 13

Waveform capnography provides a graphical representation of the exhaled carbon dioxide level over time.

Question 14

The tips of the fingers are used to assess for the pulse by placing light pressure over the location of the pulse.

Question 15

Gallops and certain murmurs are not normal in pregnancy.

Question 16

While it is relatively easy to detect a pulse in a normal patient, it can be very difficult to detect a carotid pulse when the patient is in cardiac arrest.

Question 17

For pregnant patients treated with magnesium, one indication of too much magnesium is deep tendon reflexes that are hyporeflexive, or significantly less brisk than normal.

Question 18

The pulse pressure in an adult at rest is normally approximately 80 mmHg.

Question 19

The uvula typically hangs to the side of the pharynx.

Question 20

A condition called altered speech occurs when the patient is speaking so fast it appears she has an urgency or pressure to speak quickly.

Question 21

____ is a physical examination technique that involves looking at the patient.

A) Palpation
B) Percussion
C) Excision
D) Inspection

Question 22

____ sign is pain in the right lower quadrant that occurs when the left lower quadrant is palpated, and is often associated with appendicitis.

A) Courvoisier's
B) Murphy's
C) McBurney's
D) Rovsing's

Question 23

____ is the inflammatory response to a systemic infection.

A) Nystagmus
B) Acidosis
C) Necrosis
D) Sepsis

Question 24

____ can be caused by drug overdose, head injury, or other conditions that can cause coma.

A) Hyperventilation
B) Arrhythmia
C) Pleurisy
D) Hypoventilation

Question 25

____ is the most frequently used physical exam technique.

A) Inspection
B) Percussion
C) Palpation
D) Excision

Question 26

____ is a term that refers to the amount of indention produced when the edematous limb is pressed over the tibia by the examiner's finger.

A) Impressive edema
B) Extant edema
C) Pitting edema
D) Extremity edema

Question 27

____ is an understanding of the patient's current or chronic medical condition, as well as the consequences of inappropriate treatment.

A) Empathy
B) Sympathy
C) Insight
D) Foresight

Question 28

____ occurs as the infant's head begins the passage into the birth canal, indicating delivery will occur within several minutes.

A) Engagement
B) Crowning
C) Expulsion
D) Dilation

Question 29

The assessment tool used during auscultation, the ____, is made up of a hollow flexible tube connected to ear pieces that are placed in the Paramedic's ears.

A) stethoscope
B) hyfrecator
C) forceps
D) sphygmomanometer

Question 30

____ is defined as a heart rate that is under 60 beats per minute for an adult or below the lower limit of normal for a child.

A) Bradycardia
B) Tachycardia
C) Fibrillation
D) Dilation

Question 31

A ____ is a low-pitched, soft scratching sound that occurs at any time during the cardiac cycle and indicates pericarditis, or an inflammation of the pericardial sac that surrounds the heart.

A) rub
B) thrill
C) heave
D) refill

Question 32

____ is defined as a body temperature less than 35°C (95°F).

A) Hyperthermia
B) Hypoxia
C) Hypothermia
D) Barotrauma

Question 33

____ is one of the most common causes of altered mental status and is immediately treatable by the Paramedic.

A) Hypoglycemia
B) Hyperglycemia
C) Hypoxia
D) Hypothermia

Question 34

A ____ percussion note may indicate a hemothorax, or blood filling the space between the pleural layers.

A) hyporesonant
B) hyperresonant
C) hyperreflexive
D) hyporeflexive

Question 35

The ____ assessment is a critical component that allows the Paramedic to alter the treatment plan if needed based on established trends.

A) initial
B) ongoing
C) continuous
D) periodic

Question 36

Positive orthostatic vital signs are defined as a heart rate increase of ____ beats per minute or greater.

A) 10
B) 20
C) 30
D) 40

Question 37

____ sign is right upper quadrant tenderness that worsens when the patient takes a deep breath while the quadrant is palpated and may indicate gallbladder inflammation.

A) McBurney's
B) Murphy's
C) Courvoisier's
D) Rovsing's

Question 38

____ is the molecule in red blood cells that accepts oxygen in the lungs and carries it to the body's tissues to allow cellular respiration.

A) Hemoglobin
B) Chlorophyll
C) Hemocyanin
D) Hemoprotein

Question 39

____ is the act of lightly but sharply tapping the body surface to determine the characteristics of the underlying tissue.

A) Palpation
B) Percussion
C) Inspection
D) Excision

Question 40

A ____ develops when two or more adjacent ribs are fractured in two or more places.

A) pulmonary contusion
B) pulmonary edema
C) septic shock
D) flail segment

Question 41

A(n) ____________________ percussion note can indicate a pneumothorax, where air is trapped between the pleural layers surrounding the lung.

Question 42

____________________ is assessing the patient through listening.

Question 43

____________________ is the presence of air between the layers of the skin and indicates a leak in the respiratory system.

Question 44

____________________ vital signs are vital signs that change with position.

Question 45

During a physical examination, the Paramedic performs an assessment of the patient from head to toe in an effort to detect ____________________ associated with a disease or condition.

Question 46

____________________ is defined as a heart rate that is over 100 beats per minute for an adult or above the upper limit of normal for a child.

Question 47

____________________ is a measure of the pressure within the blood vessels that make up the circulatory system.

Question 48

A deep respiration is deeper than normal and is termed ____________________.

Question 49

The goal of the ____________________ examination is to assess for weakness and detect injury sustained during the syncopal episode.

Question 50

____________________ is a transient loss of consciousness that resolves spontaneously.