BATES' GUIDE TO PHYSICAL
EXAMINATION AND HISTORY TAKING
EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
VERIFIED 2026.
Comprehensive health history - ANS A detailed account of a patient's health status,
appropriate for new patients establishing care.
Components of health history - ANS Includes review of systems, present illness, personal and
social items, but excludes thorax and lungs.
Subjective information - ANS Information given by the patient about their symptoms, such as
shortness of breath.
Objective information - ANS Measurements obtained by the examiner, such as respiratory
rate and pulse rate.
Present illness - ANS Describes the current health problem, including details like location,
timing, severity, and associated symptoms.
Personal and social history - ANS Includes educational level, family status, employment, and
lifestyle factors.
@COPYRIGHT 2026/2027 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
1
,Chief complaint - ANS The primary issue reported by the patient, often quoted in their own
words.
Review of systems - ANS Documents the presence or absence of common symptoms related
to each major body system.
Surgeries - ANS Records surgical procedures the patient has undergone, such as cesarean
sections.
Adult illnesses - ANS Includes chronic illnesses, significant hospitalizations, and major
procedures.
Asthma exacerbation - ANS A significant respiratory event that may require hospitalization.
Musculoskeletal chest pain - ANS Chest pain that may be due to conditions like
costochondritis or intercostal muscle cramp, worsened by chest wall motion.
Cardiac disorders - ANS Conditions like congestive heart failure that are likely to cause
symptoms such as shortness of breath.
Thorax and lungs - ANS Part of the physical examination, not included in the health history.
Respiratory rate - ANS A measurement of breaths per minute, considered objective data.
Pulse rate - ANS A measurement of heartbeats per minute, considered objective data.
Severity scale - ANS A method to quantify pain, often rated from 1 to 10.
Nausea and vomiting - ANS Symptoms that may accompany abdominal pain.
@COPYRIGHT 2026/2027 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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, Mid-epigastric area - ANS The location in the abdomen where the patient reports pain.
Patient assessment - ANS The process of gathering comprehensive or focused health
information about a patient.
Health history categories - ANS Include chief complaint, present illness, personal and social
history, and review of systems.
Significant hospitalization - ANS An important event in a patient's health history, such as
treatment for asthma.
Pleuritic chest pain - ANS Sharp chest pain that increases with deep breathing, often due to
pleural inflammation.
Emergency room evaluation - ANS Assessment of acute symptoms, such as shortness of
breath.
Anatomic regions for symptoms - ANS Categories such as musculoskeletal, reproductive,
urinary, cardiac, and hematologic.
Patient's own words - ANS Quoting the patient directly in the chief complaint section.
Associated manifestations - ANS Symptoms that accompany the primary complaint, such as
nausea with abdominal pain.
Educational level - ANS Part of personal and social history, indicating the highest grade
completed by the patient.
@COPYRIGHT 2026/2027 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
3
EXAMINATION AND HISTORY TAKING
EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
VERIFIED 2026.
Comprehensive health history - ANS A detailed account of a patient's health status,
appropriate for new patients establishing care.
Components of health history - ANS Includes review of systems, present illness, personal and
social items, but excludes thorax and lungs.
Subjective information - ANS Information given by the patient about their symptoms, such as
shortness of breath.
Objective information - ANS Measurements obtained by the examiner, such as respiratory
rate and pulse rate.
Present illness - ANS Describes the current health problem, including details like location,
timing, severity, and associated symptoms.
Personal and social history - ANS Includes educational level, family status, employment, and
lifestyle factors.
@COPYRIGHT 2026/2027 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
1
,Chief complaint - ANS The primary issue reported by the patient, often quoted in their own
words.
Review of systems - ANS Documents the presence or absence of common symptoms related
to each major body system.
Surgeries - ANS Records surgical procedures the patient has undergone, such as cesarean
sections.
Adult illnesses - ANS Includes chronic illnesses, significant hospitalizations, and major
procedures.
Asthma exacerbation - ANS A significant respiratory event that may require hospitalization.
Musculoskeletal chest pain - ANS Chest pain that may be due to conditions like
costochondritis or intercostal muscle cramp, worsened by chest wall motion.
Cardiac disorders - ANS Conditions like congestive heart failure that are likely to cause
symptoms such as shortness of breath.
Thorax and lungs - ANS Part of the physical examination, not included in the health history.
Respiratory rate - ANS A measurement of breaths per minute, considered objective data.
Pulse rate - ANS A measurement of heartbeats per minute, considered objective data.
Severity scale - ANS A method to quantify pain, often rated from 1 to 10.
Nausea and vomiting - ANS Symptoms that may accompany abdominal pain.
@COPYRIGHT 2026/2027 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
2
, Mid-epigastric area - ANS The location in the abdomen where the patient reports pain.
Patient assessment - ANS The process of gathering comprehensive or focused health
information about a patient.
Health history categories - ANS Include chief complaint, present illness, personal and social
history, and review of systems.
Significant hospitalization - ANS An important event in a patient's health history, such as
treatment for asthma.
Pleuritic chest pain - ANS Sharp chest pain that increases with deep breathing, often due to
pleural inflammation.
Emergency room evaluation - ANS Assessment of acute symptoms, such as shortness of
breath.
Anatomic regions for symptoms - ANS Categories such as musculoskeletal, reproductive,
urinary, cardiac, and hematologic.
Patient's own words - ANS Quoting the patient directly in the chief complaint section.
Associated manifestations - ANS Symptoms that accompany the primary complaint, such as
nausea with abdominal pain.
Educational level - ANS Part of personal and social history, indicating the highest grade
completed by the patient.
@COPYRIGHT 2026/2027 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
3
