Académique Documents
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SUMMER SY 2016
HANDOUT # 1
GENERAL SURVEY
A general survey is an overall review or first impression a nurse has of a persons well being. This
is done head to toe, or cephalo-caudal, lateral to lateral, proximal to distal, and front to back.
General surveying is visual observation and encompasses the following.
Appearan
Body
appears to be reported
sexual development
alert
&
appropriate;
facial features
symmetric; no signs of
weight and height within normal range (refer to Center for Disease
Body Mass Index (BMI) [adult] or BMI-for-age and gender
body parts equal
stands erect,
sits
gait is
walk is smooth
full
of joints
andmobility
well
Behav
Health History
A comprehensive history, including chief complaint or reason for the visit, a complete
review of systems, and a complete past family and/or social history should be obtained on
the first encounter with a patient.
The history should be age and sex appropriate and include all the necessary questions to
enable an adequate delivery of services according to prevention guidelines, scope of
practice, patient need, visit requirement, and/or request.
Usually, completing Health History and Physical Examination Form will assist in the assessment
of the patients past and current health and behavior risk status. Certain health problems, which
may be identified on a health history, are more common in specific age groups and gender.
An interval history (including an update of complaints, reason for visit, review of systems
and past family and/or social history) should be done.
Usually family health histories are completed across three generations looking specifically
for patterns in genetic issues that negatively impact quality of life.
The health history gives picture of the patients current health and behavior risk status.
Additional information than what is on a form may be required depending on the
specialized service(s) to be provided or if the person presents with special needs or
conditions.
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a health history maybe may be problem focused, expanded problem focused, detailed, or
comprehensive. Regardless, documentation must be completed for each visit and/or
assessment.
Physical Examination
Body Areas: Head (including the face); Neck; Chest (including breasts and axillae); Abdomen;
genitalia, groin, buttocks; Back (including spine); and each extremity.
Organ Systems: Constitutional (vital signs, general appearance), Eyes, Ear, Nose, Throat;
Cardiovascular; Gastrointestinal; Genitourinary; Musculoskeletal; Dermatological; Neurological;
Psychiatric; Hematological/lymphatic/immunological
Integumentary: Both overall body and organ systems should have skin assessments integrated
into them. Integument includes skin, hair and nails.
Normal and abnormal findings should be recorded on a health history and physical examination
form.
Measurements
Body measurements include length or height, weight, and head circumference for children
from birth to 36 months of age.
Thereafter, body measurements include height and weight.
The assessment of hearing, speech and vision are also measurements of an individuals
function in these areas.
The Denver Development Screening Test measures an infants and young childs gross
motor, language, fine motor-adaptive and personal-social development milestones. If
developmental delay is suspected based on an assessment of a parents
development/behavior concern or if delays are suspected after a screening of
development benchmarks, a written referral is to a physician or pediatric nurse
practitioner is imperative.
Measuring weight:
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1.
Balance beam or digital scales should be used to weigh patients of all ages. Spring type
scales are not acceptable. all scales should be zero balanced and calibrated. Scales must be
checked for accuracy on an annual basis and calibrated in accordance with manufacturers
instructions.
2.
Prior to obtaining weight measurements, make sure the scale is zeroed.
3.
Weigh infants wearing only a dry diaper or light undergarments. Weigh children after
removing outer clothing and shoes. Weigh adolescents and adults with the patient wearing
minimal clothing.
4.
Place the patient in the middle of the scale. Read the measurement and record results
immediately. Plot measurements on age and gender specific growth charts and evaluate
accordingly
Physical Assessment
1. Integumentary
Skin: The clients skin is uniform in color, unblemished and no presence of any foul
odor. He has a good skin turgor and skins temperature is within normal limit.
Hair: The hair of the client is thick, silky hair is evenly distributed and has a variable
amount of body hair. There are also no signs of infection and infestation observed.
Nails: The client has a light brown nails and has the shape of convex curve. It is smooth
and is intact with the epidermis. When nails pressed between the fingers (Blanch Test),
the nails return to usual color in less than 4 seconds.
2. Head
Head: The head of the client is rounded; normocephalic and symmetrical.
Skull: There are no nodules or masses and depressions when palpated.
Face: The face of the client appeared smooth and has uniform consistency and with no
presence of nodules or masses.
3. Eyes and Vision
Eyebrows: Hair is evenly distributed. The clients eyebrows are symmetrically aligned
and showed equal movement when asked to raise and lower eyebrows.
Eyelashes: Eyelashes appeared to be equally distributed and curled slightly outward.
Eyelids: There were no presence of discharges, no discoloration and lids close
symmetrically with involuntary blinks approximately 15-20 times per minute.
Eyes
o The Bulbar conjunctiva appeared transparent with few capillaries evident.
o The sclera appeared white.
o The palpebral conjunctiva appeared shiny, smooth and pink.
o There is no edema or tearing of the lacrimal gland.
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o
o
o
o
o
Cornea is transparent, smooth and shiny and the details of the iris are visible.
The client blinks when the cornea was touched.
The pupils of the eyes are black and equal in size. The iris is flat and round.
PERRLA (pupils equally round respond to light accommodation), illuminated
and non-illuminated pupils constricts. Pupils constrict when looking at near
object and dilate at far object. Pupils converge when object is moved towards
the nose.
When assessing the peripheral visual field, the client can see objects in the
periphery when looking straight ahead.
When testing for the Extraocular Muscle, both eyes of the client coordinately
moved in unison with parallel alignment.
The client was able to read the newsprint held at a distance of 14 inches.
Examination of Skin
1. Inspect: skin color and uniformity of color, moisture, hair pattern, rashes,
lesions, pallor, edema
2. Palpate: temperature, turgor, lesions, edema, texture
3. Percussion and auscultation: rarely used on skin
4. Terminology: pallor, cyanosis, edema, ecchymosis, macule, papule, cyanosis,
jaundice, types of edema, vitiligo, hirsutism, alopecia, etc.
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5. Pale, cool, moist skin can be indicative of heat stroke, shock or other cardiac
complications.
6. There are abnormal and normal skin findings (such as nevus)
Equipment Needed
Otoscope
Tongue blades
Cotton tipped applicators
Non-latex exam gloves
General Considerations
The head and neck exam is not a single, fixed sequence. The assessment varies depending on
the examiner and the situation.
Head
1.
Look for scars, lumps, rashes, hair loss, or other lesions.
2.
Look for facial asymmetry, involuntary movements, or edema.
3.
Palpate to identify any areas of tenderness or deformity.
Ears
1.
Inspect the auricles and move them around gently. Ask the patient if this is painful.
2.
Palpate the mastoid process for tenderness or deformity.
3.
Assess ears using otoscope:
A. Hold the otoscope upside down with your thumb and fingers so that the ulnar
aspect of your hand makes contact with the patient.
B. For adults, pull the ear upwards and backwards to straighten the canal.
C. PEDIATRICS: For children pull the ear down and back.
D. Use the largest speculum that will fit comfortably.
E. Inspect the ear canal and middle ear structures noting any redness, drainage,
or deformity.
F. Insufflate the ear and watch for movement of the tympanic membrane.
G. Repeat for the other ear.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Nose and sinuses It is often convenient to examine the nose immediately after the ears using
the same speculum.
1.
Tilt the patient's head back slightly. Ask them to hold their breath for the next few
seconds.
2.
Insert the otoscope into the nostril, avoiding contact with the septum.
3.
Inspect the visible nasal structures and note any swelling, redness, drainage, or deformity.
4.
Repeat for the other side.
5.
Turbinates should be pink and moist
6.
Frontal sinuses are below eyebrows
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7.
Mouth and Throat It is often convenient to examine the throat using the otoscope with the
speculum removed.
1.
Ask the patient to open their mouth.
2.
Using a wooden tongue blade and a good light source, inspect the inside of the patients
mouth including the buccal folds and under the tongue. Note any ulcers, white patches
(leukoplakia), or other lesions.
3.
If abnormalities are discovered, use a gloved finger to palpate the anterior structures and
floor of the mouth.
4.
Inspect the posterior oropharynx by depressing the tongue and asking the patient to say
"Ah." Note any tonsillar enlargement, redness, or discharge.
5.
Hard palate is located in the anterior part of the mouth. It is made of bone and is pale or
whitish.
6.
Soft plate is located in the posterior part of the mouth. It is softer, more mobile and pink in
color.
Neck
1.
Inspect the neck for asymmetry, scars, or other lesions.
2.
Palpate the neck to detect areas of tenderness, deformity, or masses.
Lymph Nodes
1.
Systematically palpate with the pads of your index and middle fingers for the various
lymph node groups.
2.
Preauricular - In front of the ear
3.
Postauricular - Behind the ear
4.
Occipital - At the base of the skull
5.
Tonsillar - At the angle of the jaw
6.
Submandibular - Under the jaw on the side
7.
Submental - Under the jaw in the midline
8.
Superficial (Anterior) Cervical - Over and in front of the sternomastoid muscle
9.
Supraclavicular - In the angle of the sternomastoid and the clavicle
10.
The deep cervical chain of lymph nodes lies below the sternomastoid and cannot be
palpated without getting underneath the muscle. Inform the patient that this procedure will
cause some discomfort.
11.
Hook your fingers under the anterior edge of the sternomastoid muscle.
12.
Ask the patient to bend their neck toward the side you are examining.
13.
Move the muscle backward and palpate for the deep nodes underneath.
14.
Note the size and location of any palpable nodes and whether they were soft or hard, nontender or tender, and mobile or fixed
Thyroid Gland
1.
Inspect the neck looking for the thyroid gland. Note whether it is visible and symmetrical.
A visibly enlarged thyroid gland is called a goiter.
2.
One way to look is to have person swallow sip of water; the thyroid gland will move
upward with a swallow.
3.
Move to a position behind the patient. Have the patient tilt head slightly to right.
4.
Identify the cricoid cartilage with the fingers of both hands.
5.
Move downward two or three tracheal rings while palpating for the isthmus.
6.
Move laterally from the midline while palpating for the lobes of the thyroid.
7.
Note the size, symmetry, and position of the lobes, as well as the presence of any nodules.
The normal gland is often not palpable.
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Special Tests
A. Facial Tenderness
1.
Ask the patient to tell you if these maneuvers cause excessive discomfort or pain.
2.
Press upward under both eyebrows with your thumbs. (frontal sinus)
3.
Press upward under both maxilla with your thumbs. (maxillary sinus)
4.
Excessive discomfort on one side or significant pain suggests sinusitis.
B. Sinus Transillumination
1.
Darken the room as much as possible.
2.
Place a bright otoscope or other point light source on the maxilla.
3.
Ask the patient to open their mouth and look for an orange glow on the hard palate.
4.
A decreased or absent glow suggests that the sinus is filled with something other than air.
5. Not always definitive of disease process.
1.
2.
3.
C. Temporomandibular Joint
Place the tips of your index fingers directly in front of the tragus of each ear.
Ask the patient to open and close their mouth.
Note any decreased range of motion, tenderness, or swelling.
Ophthalmoscope
Visual Acuity
In cases of eye pain, injury, or visual loss, always check visual acuity before proceeding
with the rest of the exam or putting medications in your patients eyes.
1.
Allow the patient to use their glasses or contact lens if available. You are
interested in the patient's best corrected vision.
2.
Position the patient 20 feet in front of the Snellen eye chart (or hold a
Rosenbaum pocket card at a 14 inch "reading" distance).
3.
Have the patient cover one eye at a time with an opaque card.
4.
Ask the patient to read progressively smaller letters until they can go no
further.
5.
Record the smallest line the patient read successfully (20/20, 20/30, etc.)
6.
Repeat with the other eye.
Inspection
1. Observe the patient for ptosis, exophthalmos, lesions, deformities, or
asymmetry.
2. Ask the patient to look up and pull down both lower eyelids to inspect the
conjunctiva and sclera.
3. Next spread each eye open with your thumb and index finger. Ask the patient
to look to each side and downward to expose the entire bulbar surface.
4. Note any discoloration, redness, discharge, or lesions. Note any deformity of
the iris or lesion cornea.
5. If you suspect the patient has conjunctivitis, be sure to wash your hands
immediately. Viral conjunctivitis is very contagious, so protect your self!
Visual Fields - Screen Visual Fields by Confrontation
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1.
Stand two feet in front of the patient and have them look into your eyes.
2.
Hold your hands to the side half way between you and the patient.
3.
Wiggle the fingers on one hand.
4.
Ask the patient to indicate which side they see your fingers move.
5.
Repeat two or three times to test both temporal fields.
6.
If an abnormality is suspected, test the four quadrants of each eye while asking the
patient to cover the opposite eye with a card.
Extraocular Muscles
A. Corneal Reflections
1. Shine a light from directly in front of the patient.
2. The corneal reflections should be centered over the pupils.
3. Asymmetry suggests extraocular muscle pathology.
B. Extraocular Movement (EOM)
1. Stand or sit 3 to 6 feet in front of the patient.
2. Ask the patient to follow your finger with their eyes without moving
their head.
3. Check gaze in the six cardinal directions using a cross or "H" pattern.
4. Check convergence by moving your finger toward the bridge of the
patient's nose.
5. Pause during upward and lateral gaze to check for nystagmus
(involuntary eye movement which differs in each eye).
C. Pupillary Reactions
1. PERRLA is a common abbreviation that stands for "Pupils Equal Round
Reactive to Light and Accommodation." The use of this term is so
routine that it is often used incorrectly. If you did not specifically check
the accommodation reaction use the term PERRL.
2. Look for direct and consensual responses. In a normal response, the
eye which the light is shined has pupillary constriction (direct reflex)
AND the other pupil also constricts (indirect or consensual reflex). An
abnormal response (no pupillary constriction) can help to localize the
lesion, particularly when interpreted with the result of vision testing.
While observing the pupillary light response one should also check that
the pupils are the same size.
3. Light
a. Dim the room lights as necessary.
b. Ask the patient to look into the distance.
c. Shine a bright light obliquely into each pupil in turn.
d. Look for both the direct (same eye) and consensual (other eye)
reactions.
e. Record pupil size in mm and any asymmetry or irregularity.
4. Accommodation: If the pupillary reactions to light are diminished or
absent, check the reaction to accommodation (near reaction):
a. Hold your finger about 10cm from the patient's nose.
b. Ask them to alternate looking into the distance and at your
finger.
c. Observe the pupillary response in each eye.
Additional Notes
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a. Visual acuity is reported as a pair of numbers (20/20) where the first number is how far the
patient is from the chart and the second number is the distance from which the "normal"
eye can read a line of letters. For example, 20/40 means that at 20 feet the patient can
only read letters a "normal" person can read from twice that distance.
b. You may, instead of wiggling a finger, raise one or two fingers (unilaterally or bilaterally)
and have the patient state how many fingers (total, both sides) they see. To test for
neglect, on some trials wiggle your right and left fingers simultaneously. The patient
should see movement in both hands.
Lungs / Chest: The chest wall is intact with no tenderness and masses. Theres a full
and symmetric expansion and the thumbs separate 2-3 cm during deep inspiration
when assessing for the respiratory excursion. The client manifested quiet, rhythmic and
effortless respirations.
The spine is vertically aligned. The right and left shoulders and hips are of the same
height.
Heart: There were no visible pulsations on the aortic and pulmonic areas. There is no
presence of heaves or lifts.
Abdomen: The abdomen of the client has an unblemished skin and is uniform in color.
The abdomen has a symmetric contour. There were symmetric movements caused
associated with clients respiration.
o The jugular veins are not visible.
o When nails pressed between the fingers (Blanch Test), the nails return to usual
color in less than 4 seconds.
Extremities
Hair
Nails
Skull
Face
Eyebrows
Eyelashes
Eyelids
Findings
Integumentary
When skin is pinched it goes to previous state immediately (2 seconds).
With fair complexion.
With dry skin
Evenly distributed hair.
With short, black and shiny hair.
With presence of pediculosis Capitis.
Smooth and has intact epidermis
With short and clean fingernails and toenails.
Convex and with good capillary refill time of 2 seconds.
Rounded, normocephalic and symmetrical, smooth and has uniform
consistency.Absence of nodules or masses.
Symmetrical facial movement, palpebral fissures equal in size, symmetric
nasolabial folds.
Eyes and Vision
Hair evenly distributed with skin intact.
Eyebrows are symmetrically aligned and have equal movement.
Equally distributed and curled slightly outward.
Skin intact with no discharges and no discoloration.
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Bulbar conjunctiva
Palpebral Conjunctiva
Sclera
Lacrimal gland
Clarity and texture
Corneal sensitivity
Pupils
Visual Fields
Visual Acuity
Auricles
External Nose
Nasal Cavity
Mouth and
Oropharynx
Teeth
Tongue and floor of
the mouth
Tongue movement
Uvula
Gag Reflex
Neck
Head movement
Muscle strength
Lymph Nodes
Thyroid Gland
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Posterior thorax
Spinal alignment
Breath Sounds
Anterior Thorax
Abdomen
Abdominal
movements
Auscultation of bowel
sounds
Upper Extremities
Lower Extremities
Muscles
Bones and Joints
Language
Orientation
Attention span
Level of
Consciousness
Walking gait
Standing on one foot
with eyes closed
Heel toe walking
Toe or heel walking
Finger to nose test
Alternating supination
and pronation of
hands on knees
Finger to nose and to
the nurses finger
Fingers to fingers
Fingers to thumb
Pain sensation
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