Health Assessment Exam #1 (Ch.
1,3,4,8,9,10,12,18,27,29) Questions With
Correct Answers A+ Graded 2026/2027
What does the health history provide? - correct answerSubjective and objective data
What is subjective data? what is an example? - correct answerSD is what the patient tells you
Example: headache, chest pain
What is objective data? what is an example? - correct answerOD are the signs perceived by the
examiner through physical examination during assessment
Example: rash seen by a nurse, or temp taken with a thermometer
In what order are skills performed during a typical assessment? - correct answer1. Inspection
2. Palpation
3. Percussion
4. Auscultation
If a patient has abdomen pain, what order do you do the assessment? Why? - correct answer1.
Inspection
2. AUSCULTATION
3. Palpation
4. Percussion
Because of pain, don't touch or tap the tender area first. Start by inspecting and then listening
before you feel the area.
,What occurs during inspection, the first step? - correct answer-ALWAYS COMES FIRST
-begins when you first meet a person w/ a general survey
-you should start assessment of each body system with inspection
-requires: good lighting, adequate exposure, use of instruments including otoscope,
opthalmoscope, penlight, or specula
What occurs during palpation, the second step? - correct answerPalpation applies sense of
touch to assess
Can include:
temperature, texture, moisture, organ location and size, swelling, vibration or pulsation, rigidity
or spasticity, crepitation, presence of lumps or masses, presence of tenderness or pain
-use fingers unless taking temperature
How can you assess factors during the palpation step? - correct answerby using different parts
of the hands
During palpation, what should fingertips be used to feel? - correct answer-best for fine tactile
discrimination of skin texture, swelling, pulsation, and determining presence of lumps
During palpation, what should fingers and thumb be used for? - correct answer-detection of
position, shape, and consistency of an organ or mass
During palpation, what should the dorsa of hands and fingers be used for? - correct answer-best
for determining temperature because skin here is thinner than on palms
During palpation, what should the base of fingers or the ulnar surface of hand be used for? -
correct answer-best for vibration
,**-vibrations are felt on the ulnar side of hand
During palpation, what type of palpation should you start with and why? What steps are next? -
correct answer1. start with LIGHT palpation to detect surface characteristics and accustom
person to being touched
-1 cm
2. then deeper palpations when needed
-intermittent pressure better than one long continuous palpation
-5 to 8 cm or 2-3 in
ALSO: bimanual palpation- requires use of both hands to envelop or capture certain body parts
or organs such as kidneys, uterus or adnexa for precise delimitation
What occurs during percussion, the third step? - correct answer-consists of tapping a person's
skin with short, sharp strokes to assess underlying structures
What uses does percussion have? - correct answer-mapping location and size of organs
-signaling density of a structure by a characteristic note
-detecting a superficial abnormal mass
1. percussion vibrations penetrate about 5 cm
deep
2. deeper mass would give no change in percussion
-eliciting pain if underlying structure is inflamed
-eliciting deep tendon reflex using percussion hammer
HOLLOW (AIR-FILLED) ORGANS SOUND DIFFERENT THAN SOLID ORGANS - correct answer
, What are the two methods of percussion? - correct answer1. Direct, or immediate, which is
when the striking hand directly contacts body wall
2. Indirect, or mediate, is when you use both hands and the striking hand contacts stationary
hand fixed on person's skin
In regards to percussion, what is resonance and where does it occur? - correct
answerResonance is low pitch and it occurs over normal lungs
In regards to percussion, what is hyperresonant and where does it occur? - correct
answerHyperresonant is lower pitch and it occurs over child's lungs
In regards to percussion, what is tympany and where does it occur? - correct answerTympany is
high pitch and it occurs over air filled organs (stomach, intestines)
In regards to percussion, what is dull and where does it occur? - correct answerDull is high pitch
and it occurs over solid organs (liver, spleen)
In regards to percussion, what is flat and where does it occur? - correct answerFlat is high pitch
and it occurs where no air is present such as over muscles/bones or a tumor
What occurs during auscultation, the fourth step? - correct answerAuscultation is when you
listen to sounds produced by the body
-most sounds are soft and must be channeled through a stethoscope
-once you can recognize normal sounds, you can distinguish the abnormal sounds and "extra" or
abnormal sounds
What is the single most important step in decreasing microorganism transmission? - correct
answerWASH YOUR HANDS
-before physical contact with each patient
1,3,4,8,9,10,12,18,27,29) Questions With
Correct Answers A+ Graded 2026/2027
What does the health history provide? - correct answerSubjective and objective data
What is subjective data? what is an example? - correct answerSD is what the patient tells you
Example: headache, chest pain
What is objective data? what is an example? - correct answerOD are the signs perceived by the
examiner through physical examination during assessment
Example: rash seen by a nurse, or temp taken with a thermometer
In what order are skills performed during a typical assessment? - correct answer1. Inspection
2. Palpation
3. Percussion
4. Auscultation
If a patient has abdomen pain, what order do you do the assessment? Why? - correct answer1.
Inspection
2. AUSCULTATION
3. Palpation
4. Percussion
Because of pain, don't touch or tap the tender area first. Start by inspecting and then listening
before you feel the area.
,What occurs during inspection, the first step? - correct answer-ALWAYS COMES FIRST
-begins when you first meet a person w/ a general survey
-you should start assessment of each body system with inspection
-requires: good lighting, adequate exposure, use of instruments including otoscope,
opthalmoscope, penlight, or specula
What occurs during palpation, the second step? - correct answerPalpation applies sense of
touch to assess
Can include:
temperature, texture, moisture, organ location and size, swelling, vibration or pulsation, rigidity
or spasticity, crepitation, presence of lumps or masses, presence of tenderness or pain
-use fingers unless taking temperature
How can you assess factors during the palpation step? - correct answerby using different parts
of the hands
During palpation, what should fingertips be used to feel? - correct answer-best for fine tactile
discrimination of skin texture, swelling, pulsation, and determining presence of lumps
During palpation, what should fingers and thumb be used for? - correct answer-detection of
position, shape, and consistency of an organ or mass
During palpation, what should the dorsa of hands and fingers be used for? - correct answer-best
for determining temperature because skin here is thinner than on palms
During palpation, what should the base of fingers or the ulnar surface of hand be used for? -
correct answer-best for vibration
,**-vibrations are felt on the ulnar side of hand
During palpation, what type of palpation should you start with and why? What steps are next? -
correct answer1. start with LIGHT palpation to detect surface characteristics and accustom
person to being touched
-1 cm
2. then deeper palpations when needed
-intermittent pressure better than one long continuous palpation
-5 to 8 cm or 2-3 in
ALSO: bimanual palpation- requires use of both hands to envelop or capture certain body parts
or organs such as kidneys, uterus or adnexa for precise delimitation
What occurs during percussion, the third step? - correct answer-consists of tapping a person's
skin with short, sharp strokes to assess underlying structures
What uses does percussion have? - correct answer-mapping location and size of organs
-signaling density of a structure by a characteristic note
-detecting a superficial abnormal mass
1. percussion vibrations penetrate about 5 cm
deep
2. deeper mass would give no change in percussion
-eliciting pain if underlying structure is inflamed
-eliciting deep tendon reflex using percussion hammer
HOLLOW (AIR-FILLED) ORGANS SOUND DIFFERENT THAN SOLID ORGANS - correct answer
, What are the two methods of percussion? - correct answer1. Direct, or immediate, which is
when the striking hand directly contacts body wall
2. Indirect, or mediate, is when you use both hands and the striking hand contacts stationary
hand fixed on person's skin
In regards to percussion, what is resonance and where does it occur? - correct
answerResonance is low pitch and it occurs over normal lungs
In regards to percussion, what is hyperresonant and where does it occur? - correct
answerHyperresonant is lower pitch and it occurs over child's lungs
In regards to percussion, what is tympany and where does it occur? - correct answerTympany is
high pitch and it occurs over air filled organs (stomach, intestines)
In regards to percussion, what is dull and where does it occur? - correct answerDull is high pitch
and it occurs over solid organs (liver, spleen)
In regards to percussion, what is flat and where does it occur? - correct answerFlat is high pitch
and it occurs where no air is present such as over muscles/bones or a tumor
What occurs during auscultation, the fourth step? - correct answerAuscultation is when you
listen to sounds produced by the body
-most sounds are soft and must be channeled through a stethoscope
-once you can recognize normal sounds, you can distinguish the abnormal sounds and "extra" or
abnormal sounds
What is the single most important step in decreasing microorganism transmission? - correct
answerWASH YOUR HANDS
-before physical contact with each patient
