BATES' GUIDE TO PHYSICAL
EXAMINATION AND HISTORY TAKING
CH. 1-5 EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS. VERIFIED 2026.
Validity - ANS Does the test accurately identify whether a patient has a disease?
This involves comparing the test against a "gold standard" (the best measure of wether a
patient has disease).
The initial step in evaluating a diagnostic test.
Sensitivity - ANS The probability that a person with disease has a POSITIVE test.
Also known as the "true positive" rate.
Useful for screening tests because if sensitivity is > 90%, you can rule OUT diseases (test is rarely
negative when the disease is present)
Ex) The probability that a patient with splenomegaly is associated with percussion dullness
below the left costal margin.
@COPYRIGHT 2026/2027 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
1
, Specificity - ANS The probability that a non-diseased person has a NEGATIVE test.
Also known as the "true negative" rate.
Useful as confirmatory tests because if specificity is >90%, it is safe to confirm diseases (test is
rarely positive when the disease is absent)
Ex) The probability that a patient WITHOUT splenomegaly will have percussion dullness is the
false positive rate for this physical maneuver.
A negative result from a test with high sensitivity... - ANS ...usually means you can exclude
the disease.
(high sensitivity = very low false-negative rate)
SnNOUT Acronym - ANS a Sensitive test with a Negative result rules OUT disease
SpPIN Acronym - ANS a Specific test with a Positive result rules IN disease
Positive Predictive Value (PPV) - ANS The probability that a person with a positive test has
disease [a / (a + b)]
Ex) Prostate Cancer screening, where a man with a PSA value greater than 4.0 ng/mL has only a
30% probability of having prostate cancer when tested via biopsy.
The predictive value will vary substantially according to the prevalence of disease.
Negative Predictive Value (NPV) - ANS The probability that a person with a negative test does
not have disease [d / (c + b)]
@COPYRIGHT 2026/2027 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
2
EXAMINATION AND HISTORY TAKING
CH. 1-5 EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS. VERIFIED 2026.
Validity - ANS Does the test accurately identify whether a patient has a disease?
This involves comparing the test against a "gold standard" (the best measure of wether a
patient has disease).
The initial step in evaluating a diagnostic test.
Sensitivity - ANS The probability that a person with disease has a POSITIVE test.
Also known as the "true positive" rate.
Useful for screening tests because if sensitivity is > 90%, you can rule OUT diseases (test is rarely
negative when the disease is present)
Ex) The probability that a patient with splenomegaly is associated with percussion dullness
below the left costal margin.
@COPYRIGHT 2026/2027 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
1
, Specificity - ANS The probability that a non-diseased person has a NEGATIVE test.
Also known as the "true negative" rate.
Useful as confirmatory tests because if specificity is >90%, it is safe to confirm diseases (test is
rarely positive when the disease is absent)
Ex) The probability that a patient WITHOUT splenomegaly will have percussion dullness is the
false positive rate for this physical maneuver.
A negative result from a test with high sensitivity... - ANS ...usually means you can exclude
the disease.
(high sensitivity = very low false-negative rate)
SnNOUT Acronym - ANS a Sensitive test with a Negative result rules OUT disease
SpPIN Acronym - ANS a Specific test with a Positive result rules IN disease
Positive Predictive Value (PPV) - ANS The probability that a person with a positive test has
disease [a / (a + b)]
Ex) Prostate Cancer screening, where a man with a PSA value greater than 4.0 ng/mL has only a
30% probability of having prostate cancer when tested via biopsy.
The predictive value will vary substantially according to the prevalence of disease.
Negative Predictive Value (NPV) - ANS The probability that a person with a negative test does
not have disease [d / (c + b)]
@COPYRIGHT 2026/2027 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
2
