Assessments (EXAM 3) Questions With Complete Solutions
What are the components of the mental status examination?
Appearance
Behavior
Cognitive Function
Thought processes
Appearance
Look at posture, body movements, dressed, hygiene
Normal Behavior
Level of consciousness, facial expressions, speech
Cognitive Function
Oriented, attention span in intact, recent memory intact, can
remember 4 random words
Thought Processes
Logical, coherent thoughts, complete thoughts, constantly aware
of reality or stimuli around them
Abnormal Behavior
Dysphonia, aphasia,
Flat expression with depression, parkinsonism
Abnormal Thought Processes
Unrealistic thoughts, illusions and hallucinations
,Delirium
Acute, sudden change in mental status
Potential result of physiological derangement in body or acute
illness
Reversible with treatment
Acute confusional state: clouding of consciousness, perception
disturbance
What are the signs and symptoms of Delirium?
Unarousable to agitated
Often confused
Disoriented
Agitated
Uncooperative
May have loss of consciousness
What are the causes of Delirium?
Drugs, dehydration
Electrolyte imbalance
Low O2, lack of drugs
Infection
Urinary/stool retention
Malnutrition/dehydration
Uremia
Metabolic disease
Dementia
Low, progressive nature
Increased incidence with age
, Alzheimer's disease - ⅔ of cases
Not reversible
Mood, affect, through process and content are variable
Memory, judgment and other higher cortical functions
deteriorate with time
What are the signs and symptoms of Dementia?
Appearance and behavior vary with extent of involvement
What are the strategies of assessing mental status for infants
and children?
Denver II screening test
Behavioral Checklist
Denver II screening test
Gives a chance to interact directly with child to assess mental
status
From birth to 6 years old, it helps identify those who may be
slow to develop in behavioral, language, cognitive, and
psychosocial development
Behavioral Checklist
School-age children, ages 7 to 11, is a tool given to parent along
with the history
Covers mood, play, school, friends, and family relations
What are the strategies of assessing mental status
for adolescents?
A-B-C-T guidelines
- Appearance