Advanced Assessment: Interpreting Findings and Formulating
Differential Diagnoses
Mary Jo Goolsby, and Laurie Grubbs
6th Edition
,Table of Contents
Chapter 01 Clinical Decision Making-Assessment and Differential Diagnosis 1
Chapter 02 Diagnostic Studies 5
Chapter 03 Genomic Assessment-Interpreting Findings and Formulating Differential
Diagnoses 8
Chapter 04 Skin 13
Chapter 05 Head, Face, and Neck 23
Chapter 06 Eyes 31
Chapter 07 Ear, Nose, Mouth, and Throat 41
Chapter 08 Cardiac and Peripheral Vascular Systems 51
Chapter 09 Respiratory System 70
Chapter 10 Breasts 80
Chapter 11 Abdomen 87
Chapter 12 Genitourinary System 104
Chapter 13 Male Reproductive System 113
Chapter 14 Female Reproductive System 122
Chapter 15 Musculoskeletal System 140
Chapter 16 Neurological System 155
Chapter 17 Nonspecific Complaints 169
Chapter 18 Psychiatric Mental Health 183
Chapter 19 Pediatric Patients 195
Chapter 20 Pregnant Patients 208
Chapter 21 Assessment of Transgender and Gender-Diverse Adults 222
Chapter 22 Older Patients 228
Chapter 23 Persons With Disabilities 236
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Test Bank - Advanced Assessment: Interpreting Findings and Formulating Differential Diagnoses, 6e (Goolsby, 2026)
Chapter 1. Clinical Decision Making: Assessment and Differential Diagnosis
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Which type of clinical decision making is most reliable?
A. Analytical I
B. Augenblink
C. Experiential
D. Intuitive
ANS: A
Croskerry (2013) describes two major types of clinical diagnostic decision making: intuitive and
analytical. Intuitive decision making (similar to Augenblink decision making) is based on the
experience and intuition of the clinician and is less reliable and paired with fairly common errors.
In contrast, analytical decision making is based on careful consideration and has greater
reliability with rare errors.
PTS: 1
2. You are using the PQRST approach while completing the history of present illness for a
patient complaining of pain. Which of the following questions is relevant to the “P” portion
of this approach?
A. How would you describe your pain?
B. Can you point to the area of most severe pain?
C. How has your pain changed since you first noticed it?
D. What makes the pain worse or better?
ANS: D
In the PQRST model, “P” refers to exploring precipitating and palliative factors. Identify factors
that make the symptom worse or better, any previous self-treatment or prescribed treatment, and
response.
PTS: 1
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Test Bank - Advanced Assessment: Interpreting Findings and Formulating Differential Diagnoses, 6e (Goolsby, 2026)
3. Essential parts of a health history include all of the following except:
A. Chief complaint
B. Current vital signs
C. History of the present illness
D. Review of systems
ANS: B
Vital signs are part of the physical exam portion of patient assessment, not part of the health
history.
PTS: 1
4. While reading an article on hypothyroidism, you find a helpful graphic depiction of the
decision-making process recommended by the authors to find a definitive diagnosis. This
graphic is an example of:
A. A clinical prediction tool
B. Clinical guidelines
C. A decision tree
D. A diagnostic-finding guide
ANS: C
Clinical decision trees provide a graphic depiction of the decision-making process, showing the
pathway based on findings at various steps in the process.
PTS: 1
5. Which of the following is the least reliable source of information for diagnostic statistics?
A. Evidence-based investigations
B. Primary reports of research
C. Estimation based on a provider’s experience
D. Published meta-analyses
ANS: C
Sources for diagnostic statistics include textbooks, primary reports of research, and published
meta-analyses. Another source of statistics, the one that has been most widely used and available
for application to the reasoning process, is the estimation based on a provider’s experience,
although these are rarely accurate. Over the past decade, the availability of evidence on which to
base clinical reasoning is improving, and there is an increasing expectation that clinical
reasoning be based on scientific evidence. Evidence-based statistics are also increasingly being
used to develop resources to facilitate clinical decision making.
PTS: 1
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