Physical Examination Part 1 - Flashcards

Vocabulary practice flashcards generated from Physical Examination Part 1 lecture notes.

Physical Examination

Quantifiable, objective information obtained from a patient through vital signs and a head-to-toe assessment using inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation.

Inspection

A physical exam technique that involves visually observing the patient in general or at a specific body area without touching.

Palpation

A physical exam technique involving physical touching to evaluate tenderness, deformities, crepitus, masses, pulse quality, and pulsations.

Percussion

A physical exam technique of gently striking the body surface overlying body cavities to detect density changes in underlying structures.

Auscultation

A physical exam technique of listening to internal body sounds, such as equal air entry in the lungs, using a stethoscope.

Systolic Pressure

The force exerted by blood against the arterial walls during ventricular contraction.

Diastolic Pressure

The force exerted by blood against the arterial walls during ventricular relaxation.

Cardiac Output (CO)

The total volume of blood leaving the heart every minute, calculated as the product of Stroke Volume ($\text{SV}$) and Heart Rate ($\text{HR}$).

Stroke Volume (SV)

The volume of blood ejected by the heart during a single contraction.

Systemic Vascular Resistance (SVR)

Also called peripheral vascular resistance (PVR); the resistance within systemic blood vessels that the heart must overcome during contraction and relaxation.

Blood Pressure Equation

The complete relationship defining blood pressure: $\text{BP} = \text{CO} \times \text{SVR} = (\text{SV} \times \text{HR}) \times \text{SVR}$.

Normotension

A normal blood pressure state characterized by a systolic blood pressure equal to or greater than $100\text{ mmHg}$ (e.g., $115/75\text{ mmHg}$ or $120/80\text{ mmHg}$).

Hypertension

A condition defined by a systolic blood pressure greater than $140\text{ mmHg}$.

Hypertensive Emergency

A critical elevation in blood pressure characterized by a diastolic blood pressure greater than $130\text{ mmHg}$.

Hypotension

An abnormally low blood pressure state characterized by a systolic blood pressure less than $90\text{ mmHg}$.

Bradycardia

A heart rate less than $60\text{ bpm}$.

Tachycardia

A heart rate greater than $100\text{ bpm}$.

Bradypnea

A respiratory rate less than $12\text{ r/min}$.

Tachypnea

A respiratory rate greater than $20\text{ r/min}$.

Eupnea

A normal respiratory rate and breathing pattern.

Cheyne-Stokes Respiration

A pathologic breathing pattern with gradual increases and decreases in respirations interspersed with periods of apnea, caused by increasing intracranial pressure or brain stem injury.

Biot's Respiration

A pathologic breathing pattern featuring rapid, deep respirations (gasps) with short pauses between sets, caused by spinal meningitis, head injury, or CNS issues.

Kussmaul's Respiration

A breathing pattern consisting of both tachypnea and hyperpnea, commonly caused by renal failure, metabolic acidosis, or diabetic ketoacidosis.

Apneustic Respiration

A breathing pattern marked by a prolonged inspiratory phase with a shortened expiratory phase, caused by a lesion in the brain stem.

Hypothermia

A medical condition caused by a decrease in the body core temperature to $35^\text{o}\text{C}$ or less.

Hyperthermia

An elevation in the body core temperature above normal, including fever defined as any temperature above $37.4^\text{o}\text{C}$.

Pulse Oximetry (SpO2)

A non-invasive measurement of the percentage of hemoglobin saturated with oxygen in arterial blood.

Hypoglycemia

A condition defined as a capillary blood glucose level less than $4.0\text{ mmol/L}$.

Hyperglycemia

A condition defined as a capillary blood glucose level greater than $7.0\text{ mmol/L}$.

Primary Survey

A rapid initial assessment lasting less than 2 minutes designed to identify life-threatening conditions (ABCs, trauma) and determine transport priority.

AVPU Scale

A rapid scoring method for evaluating level of consciousness based on response to stimuli: Alert, Verbal, Painful, or Unresponsive.

Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)

A standardized scoring evaluation measuring eye opening response (1-4), best verbal response (1-5), and best motor response (1-6).

Decorticate Posturing

Abnormal motor response to pain characterized by arms bent toward the body center, curled wrists, balled hands on the chest, rigid extended legs, and turned-in toes.

Decerebrate Posturing

Abnormal motor extension response to pain characterized by straight, tense arms parallel to the body, flexed wrists, curled fingers, rigid extended legs, and turned-in toes.

DCAP-BLS-TIC

A trauma assessment mnemonic for Deformities, Contusions, Abrasions, Punctures/Penetrations, Burns, Lacerations, Swelling, Tenderness, Instability, and Crepitus.

PERRL

A standard clinical acronym describing normal pupillary assessment findings: Pupils equal, round, and reactive to light.