Health Assessment Techniques - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering core concepts from the health assessment lecture notes.

Health assessment techniques

Methods used to collect essential data to safely care for patients, including inspection, auscultation, percussion, and palpation.

Objective data

Factual information observed or measured during assessment, as opposed to subjective data provided by the patient.

Normal variant

A normal deviation in anatomy or appearance that is within healthy limits.

Patient-centered care

Care that respects and responds to individual patient preferences, needs, and values.

Confidentiality

Keeping patient findings private and sharing information only with authorized personnel.

Standard precautions

Infection prevention practices to reduce transmission, including hand hygiene and use of PPE.

Personal protective equipment (PPE)

Protective gear such as gloves, gown, and mask used to protect both patient and provider.

Hand hygiene

Washing or sanitizing hands before and after patient contact.

Inspection

Looking at the body to assess physical appearance, posture, and behavior.

Auscultation

Listening to body sounds (heart, lungs, abdomen) using a stethoscope or similar device.

Percussion

Tapping body parts to evaluate size, borders, density, and presence of fluid.

Palpation

Using the hands to feel surface characteristics, texture, size, and tenderness.

Systematic assessment

A structured approach from noninvasive to invasive methods with minimal patient movement.

First step before assessment

Wash your hands prior to starting any health assessment.

Inspection prerequisites

Comfortable room temperature, good lighting, and exposure of the body part being inspected.

Symmetry

Comparing one side of the body with the other to detect differences.

Inspecting characteristics: Location

Where a finding is located on the body.

Inspecting characteristics: Size

The measurement or extent of a finding.

Inspecting characteristics: Color

The hue or shade observed on the body part.

Inspecting characteristics: Pattern

The arrangement or sequence of a finding (e.g., skin pattern, lesion pattern).

Inspecting characteristics: Shape

The contour or form of a finding.

Inspecting characteristics: Odors

Unusual smells observed during examination.

Inspecting characteristics: Symmetry

Assessing whether features on one side match the other side.

Sense not used in inspection

Feeling/touch is not used when you are solely inspecting the patient.

Stethoscope

Instrument used to listen to internal body sounds during auscultation.

Indirect auscultation

A auscultation method using amplification (stethoscope) rather than direct ear to body sounds.

Bell of the stethoscope

The small, concave part that is more sensitive to low-pitched sounds.

Diaphragm of the stethoscope

The flat, wide part that is more sensitive to high-pitched sounds.

Auscultation technique

Warm the stethoscope, place it firmly on the area, listen attentively, and clean the instrument afterward.

Palpation

The technique of feeling with the hands to assess texture, size, tenderness, and surface characteristics.

Light palpation

Gentle palpation using finger pads to assess surface characteristics to depth of about <1 cm.

Moderate palpation

Deeper palpation (~0.5–0.75 inches) used to assess masses, location, and tenderness.

Deep palpation

Palpation to 1–2 inches (may use one or two hands) to detect deeper structures; pain area last.

Palpation surfaces: finger pads

Finger pads are used for fine discrimination (texture, size, pulses, masses, tenderness).

Palpation surfaces: dorsal surface

The back of the hand used to assess temperature.

Palpation surfaces: ulnar surface

The ulnar side of the hand used to assess vibrations, thrills, and texture.

Ball of the hand

The fleshy part of the palm used to palpate for masses and overall surface characteristics.

Lump palpation (finger pads preference)

For superficial lumps, finger pads provide best discrimination of texture and surface features.