Health Assessment Concept Clarification

A collection of flashcards covering key concepts and definitions from health assessment lecture notes.

Inspection

A technique that relies on the examiner's senses of vision, smell, and hearing to assess potential findings such as color, patterns, and symmetry in the client's body.

Palpation

A physical examination technique that involves touching and feeling specific physical characteristics using the hands to assess texture, temperature, moisture, and tenderness.

Percussion

A technique used to produce sound waves by tapping on body parts to assess underlying structures, helping to determine organ size, location, and tissue density.

Auscultation

An assessment technique that uses a stethoscope to amplify internal body sounds, classified by their intensity, pitch, duration, and quality.

Vital Signs

Measurements of temperature, pulse, respirations, blood pressure, and pain, serving as primary indicators of a client's health.

Hyperthermia

An elevated body temperature, typically above 38.0°C (100°F), indicating potential infections or inflammatory processes.

Hypothermia

A low body temperature, typically below 36.5°C (96.0°F), suggesting prolonged exposure to cold or medical conditions such as shock.

Bradycardia

A slow pulse rate of less than 60 beats per minute, which may indicate heart block or other cardiovascular issues.

Tachycardia

A rapid pulse rate exceeding 100 beats per minute, often associated with fever, stress, or medications.

Orthostatic Hypotension

A significant drop in blood pressure when moving from sitting to standing, indicating potential fluid volume deficits.

Dysphagia

Difficulty swallowing, which poses a risk for aspiration and may require assessment by a speech therapist.

COLDSPA

A mnemonic for gathering data about a client's pain, standing for Character, Onset, Location, Duration, Severity, Pattern, and Associated factors.

Braden Scale

An assessment tool used to evaluate a patient's risk for developing pressure injuries by scoring six specific risk factors.

Cognitive Abilities

Functions including orientation, concentration, memory, abstract reasoning, and judgment, which are tested during a mental status examination.

Collaborative Problems

Physiological complications resulting from medical conditions that require intervention by healthcare professionals.

Chronic Illnesses

Long-lasting health conditions that can affect a person's quality of life and require ongoing management.

Presbycusis

Age-related gradual sensorineural hearing loss common in adults over the age of 50.

Systolic Blood Pressure

The pressure in the arteries during the contraction of the heart muscle; normal range is less than 120 mmHg.

Diastolic Blood Pressure

The pressure in the arteries when the heart is resting between beats; normal range is less than 80 mmHg.

Normal Range

The accepted range for specific vital signs; for example, normal pulse is 60-100 beats/min and normal respiratory rate is 12-20 breaths/min.

Palpation Techniques

Methods used during physical assessment to evaluate texture, mobility, consistency, size, and tenderness through touch.

Risk Factors for Poor Health Outcomes

Factors that increase the likelihood of health problems, including previous medical history, lifestyle choices, and environmental exposures.

Ear Examination Normal Findings

The external auditory canal is pink and smooth with a small amount of odorless cerumen; tympanic membrane appears pearly gray, smooth, and intact.

Assessment Techniques

The systematic approach to collecting data using physical examination methods such as inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation.