Emergency Care Chapter 14: Principles of Assessment

Vocabulary practice flashcards based on Chapter 14: Principles of Assessment from Emergency Care 14th Edition.

History of Present Illness (HPI)

A component of the patient history obtained to gather detailed information about the current chief complaint and symptoms.

Past Medical History (PMH)

A component of the patient history obtained to collect information on existing medical conditions, allergies, medications, and prior health events.

Closed-Ended Questions

Questions used during patient history-taking when an immediate answer is required.

OPQRST

A mnemonic used to evaluate the chief complaint and history of present illness: Onset, Provocation, Quality, Region; radiation, Severity, Time.

SAMPLE

A mnemonic used to gather past medical history: Signs and symptoms, Allergies, Medications, Pertinent past history, Last oral intake, Events leading to the injury or illness.

Observe

A primary physical examination technique in which the clinician looks at the patient to gain an overall sense of their condition.

Auscultate

A primary physical examination technique in which the clinician listens to body sounds to detect abnormal conditions.

Palpate

A primary physical examination technique in which the clinician feels an area to identify deformities or abnormal findings.

Pediatric Physical Exam Approach

An examination strategy starting with the least invasive parts (such as toes or trunk) and progressing toward the most invasive parts (the head).

Respiratory System Assessment Determination

The single most important determination when evaluating the respiratory system, which is whether the patient is breathing adequately.

Cardiovascular Assessment (Physical Exam)

A physical evaluation including pulse, blood pressure, pulse pressure, jugular vein distention (JVD), chest palpation, posture, and breathing.

Neurologic Assessment (Physical Exam)

A physical evaluation involving a stroke scale, checking peripheral sensation/movement, spinal palpation, extremity strength, pupil equality/reactivity, and gait.

Diabetic Patient Emergency

The most common endocrine emergency encountered in emergency medical care.

Gastrointestinal Assessment Focus

An assessment centered on observing what has gone into the body, what has come out, and the appearance of what came out.

Anaphylaxis

A severe allergic reaction representing the most relevant immune system emergency in EMS.

Crepitation

A sound or feeling of grating assessed during a musculoskeletal physical examination.

Diagnosis

A label given to a condition based on patient history, physical examination, and vital signs.

Differential Diagnosis

A list of candidate conditions or diagnoses generated during assessment and evaluated to rule in or rule out specific causes.

Emergency Medicine Approach to Diagnosis

A diagnostic approach focused on quickly ruling out or treating immediate life threats and evaluating red flags that point to worst-case scenarios.

Heuristics

Cognitive shortcuts and pattern-recognition strategies used by experienced clinicians to narrow possibilities and reach diagnoses rapidly.