Medical Assistant
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_ajgyy9
1. Parts of the medical history include:: 1. chief complaint
2. history of present illness (HPI)
3. past, family and social history (PFSH)
4. review of systems (ROS)
2. Define chief complaint: what brings the patient in to see the physician
3. Define history of present illness (HPI): explanation of the chief complaint to determine:
1. onset of illness
2. associated symptoms
3. what the patient has done to treat the illness
4. Define past medical history: 1. all health problems
2. major illnesses
3. surgeries
4. current medications complete with reasons for taking them
5. allergies
5. Define family history: summary of health problems of siblings, parents and other blood relatives
6. Define social history: Includes:
1. marital status
2. occupation
3. educational attainment
4. hobbies
5. use of alcohol/tobacco/drugs
6. lifestyles
7. Define review of systems: orderly and systematic check of each organ and system of the boy by
questions.
8. What are the 3 vital signs that are necessary for life?: 1. temperature
2. respiration
3. heart function (blood pressure)
9. What are the four vital signs of body function?: 1. temperature
2. pulse
3. respiration
4. blood pressure
10. What is the normal range of body temperature?: 96.6-100.6 F
, Medical Assistant
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_ajgyy9
11. Define body temperature: the balance between heat production and heat loss
12. Body temperature is regulated by what structure?: the hypothalamus
13. Site for most accurate body temperature: Rectum
14. Least accurate site for body temperature: Axillary
15. 3 types of fever: 1. Intermittent
2. Remittent
3. Continuous
16. Define intermittent fever: fluctuating fever that returns to or below baseline then rises again
17. Define remittent fever: fluctuating fever that remains elevated: it does not return to baseline tempera-
ture
18. Define continuous fever: a fever that remains constant above the baseline: it does not fluctuate
19. Which is the most common site for temperatures: oral
20. In patients who have just finished eating, drinking, or smoking, how long
should you wait before taking a temperature: 30 minutes
21. Patients with heart disease should not have which temperature taken?: rectal
22. Normal pulse range: 60-100 bpm
23. Most accurate pulse: apical pulse
24. Normal respiratory range: 12 to 20 per minute in adults
25. 3 respiratory rate abnormalities: 1. apnea
2. tachypnea
3. bradypnea
26. Define apnea: temporary complete absence of breathing which may be a result of a reduction in the stimuli
to the respiratory centers of the brain
27. Define tachypnea: respiration rate of greater than 40/minute. It is transient in the newborn and maybe
caused by hysteria in the adult
28. Define bradypnea: decrease in the number of respirations. This occurs during sleep, or certain diseases.
29. Define respiratory rhythm: refers to the pattern of breathing. Can vary with age: infants have an
irregular rhythm, while adults have regular.
30. 2 abnormal respiratory rythms: 1. Cheyenne-Stokes
2. Orthopnea
31. Define Cheyenne-Stokes breathing rate: a regular pattern of irregular breathing rate
32. Define orthopnea: difficulty or inability to breathe unless in the upright position
, Medical Assistant
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_ajgyy9
33. Patient position when the head is 90 degrees upright: high-Fowler's position
34. Define depth of respiration: the amount of air that is inspired and expired during each respiration
35. Name 2 abnormalities in the depth of respiration: 1. hypoventilation
2. hyperventilation
36. Define hypoventilation: state in which reduced amount of air enters the lungs resulting in decreased
oxygen level and increased carbon dioxide level in blood. It can be due to breathing that is too shallow, or too slow, or
due to diminished lung function
37. Define hyperpnea: abnormal increase in the depth and rate of breathing
38. define hyperventilation: state in which there is an increased amount of air entering the lungs
39. Define blood pressure: the amount of force exerted by the blood on the peripheral arterial walls
40. How is blood pressure expressed: mm of Hg
41. The appropriate width of a cuff is what?: 40% of the circumference of the limb
42. The appropriate length of the cuff is what?: 80% of the circumference of the limb
43. If the blood pressure cuff is too short or narrow, how does this effect bp
readings?: false high readings
44. The bp cuff is centered over which artery: brachial
45. What is the location of the bp cuff in relation to the anticubital crease?: 2.5cm
above
46. If the brachial artery is far below the heart level, how will this effect the blood
pressure: false high
47. If the brachial artery is far above heart level, how will this effect the blood
pressure reading: false low
48. What is the most common artery to use for blood pressure?: brachial artery
49. How high should the bp cuff be inflated above the palpatory systolic pres-
sure: 30mm Hg
50. What is the rate of release of pressure when taking a bp?: 2 to 3mm Hg per second
51. When to you take the systolic bp?: the level at which you hear the sounds of at least two consecutive
beats
52. When do you take the diastolic bp?: When beats disappear
53. What are the 7 common errors in blood pressure measurements?: 1. improper
cuff size
2. the arm is not at heart level
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_ajgyy9
1. Parts of the medical history include:: 1. chief complaint
2. history of present illness (HPI)
3. past, family and social history (PFSH)
4. review of systems (ROS)
2. Define chief complaint: what brings the patient in to see the physician
3. Define history of present illness (HPI): explanation of the chief complaint to determine:
1. onset of illness
2. associated symptoms
3. what the patient has done to treat the illness
4. Define past medical history: 1. all health problems
2. major illnesses
3. surgeries
4. current medications complete with reasons for taking them
5. allergies
5. Define family history: summary of health problems of siblings, parents and other blood relatives
6. Define social history: Includes:
1. marital status
2. occupation
3. educational attainment
4. hobbies
5. use of alcohol/tobacco/drugs
6. lifestyles
7. Define review of systems: orderly and systematic check of each organ and system of the boy by
questions.
8. What are the 3 vital signs that are necessary for life?: 1. temperature
2. respiration
3. heart function (blood pressure)
9. What are the four vital signs of body function?: 1. temperature
2. pulse
3. respiration
4. blood pressure
10. What is the normal range of body temperature?: 96.6-100.6 F
, Medical Assistant
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_ajgyy9
11. Define body temperature: the balance between heat production and heat loss
12. Body temperature is regulated by what structure?: the hypothalamus
13. Site for most accurate body temperature: Rectum
14. Least accurate site for body temperature: Axillary
15. 3 types of fever: 1. Intermittent
2. Remittent
3. Continuous
16. Define intermittent fever: fluctuating fever that returns to or below baseline then rises again
17. Define remittent fever: fluctuating fever that remains elevated: it does not return to baseline tempera-
ture
18. Define continuous fever: a fever that remains constant above the baseline: it does not fluctuate
19. Which is the most common site for temperatures: oral
20. In patients who have just finished eating, drinking, or smoking, how long
should you wait before taking a temperature: 30 minutes
21. Patients with heart disease should not have which temperature taken?: rectal
22. Normal pulse range: 60-100 bpm
23. Most accurate pulse: apical pulse
24. Normal respiratory range: 12 to 20 per minute in adults
25. 3 respiratory rate abnormalities: 1. apnea
2. tachypnea
3. bradypnea
26. Define apnea: temporary complete absence of breathing which may be a result of a reduction in the stimuli
to the respiratory centers of the brain
27. Define tachypnea: respiration rate of greater than 40/minute. It is transient in the newborn and maybe
caused by hysteria in the adult
28. Define bradypnea: decrease in the number of respirations. This occurs during sleep, or certain diseases.
29. Define respiratory rhythm: refers to the pattern of breathing. Can vary with age: infants have an
irregular rhythm, while adults have regular.
30. 2 abnormal respiratory rythms: 1. Cheyenne-Stokes
2. Orthopnea
31. Define Cheyenne-Stokes breathing rate: a regular pattern of irregular breathing rate
32. Define orthopnea: difficulty or inability to breathe unless in the upright position
, Medical Assistant
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_ajgyy9
33. Patient position when the head is 90 degrees upright: high-Fowler's position
34. Define depth of respiration: the amount of air that is inspired and expired during each respiration
35. Name 2 abnormalities in the depth of respiration: 1. hypoventilation
2. hyperventilation
36. Define hypoventilation: state in which reduced amount of air enters the lungs resulting in decreased
oxygen level and increased carbon dioxide level in blood. It can be due to breathing that is too shallow, or too slow, or
due to diminished lung function
37. Define hyperpnea: abnormal increase in the depth and rate of breathing
38. define hyperventilation: state in which there is an increased amount of air entering the lungs
39. Define blood pressure: the amount of force exerted by the blood on the peripheral arterial walls
40. How is blood pressure expressed: mm of Hg
41. The appropriate width of a cuff is what?: 40% of the circumference of the limb
42. The appropriate length of the cuff is what?: 80% of the circumference of the limb
43. If the blood pressure cuff is too short or narrow, how does this effect bp
readings?: false high readings
44. The bp cuff is centered over which artery: brachial
45. What is the location of the bp cuff in relation to the anticubital crease?: 2.5cm
above
46. If the brachial artery is far below the heart level, how will this effect the blood
pressure: false high
47. If the brachial artery is far above heart level, how will this effect the blood
pressure reading: false low
48. What is the most common artery to use for blood pressure?: brachial artery
49. How high should the bp cuff be inflated above the palpatory systolic pres-
sure: 30mm Hg
50. What is the rate of release of pressure when taking a bp?: 2 to 3mm Hg per second
51. When to you take the systolic bp?: the level at which you hear the sounds of at least two consecutive
beats
52. When do you take the diastolic bp?: When beats disappear
53. What are the 7 common errors in blood pressure measurements?: 1. improper
cuff size
2. the arm is not at heart level
