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physical characteristics of general survey includes - ✔✔appearance (groomed), body
structure, mobility, and behavior
physical appearance - ✔✔age, sexual development, level of consciousness, skin color,
facial features, symmetry, overall appearance
body structure - ✔✔stature, nutrition, symmetry, posture, position, body build, contour,
obvious physical deformities
level of consciousness - ✔✔alert and oriented to 1)person, 2)place, 3)time, 4)situation
correct body structure proportions - ✔✔arm span = height, length fro crown to pubis =
pubis to sole
Mobility - ✔✔gait, range of motion,
behavior - ✔✔facial expression, mood and affect, speech, speech pattern, dress,
personal hygiene
measurement - ✔✔weight, height, BMI (normal: 18.5-24.9 kg/m2), waist circumference
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,aging adult physical appearance - ✔✔angular facial features and body portions are
redistributed
aging adult posture - ✔✔general flection (kyphosis)
aging adults Gait - ✔✔wider base
aging adult weight - ✔✔loss of muscle and subcutaneous fat from face and periphery,
additional fat on abdomen and hips
aging adult height - ✔✔shorter trunk due to thinning and shortening of vertebrae and
posture
Temperature - ✔✔metabolism requires 37.2 C
normal oral temperature - ✔✔most convenient - range of 35.8-37.3, influenced by
diurnal cycle, menstration, exercise, and age
rectal temp - ✔✔0.4-0.5 degrees C higher than oral
hyperthermia and hypothermia - ✔✔hyper - >38 C, hypo - <36 C
pulse (stroke volume) - ✔✔70 ml of blood pumped every beat
regular pulse - ✔✔count for 30 secs multiply by 2
irregular pulse - ✔✔count for full 60 secs, assess using rate, rhythm, and force
pulse rate - ✔✔normal resting: 50-95 bpm (60-100 range), varies with age and gender
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, bradycardia - ✔✔<50 bpm, bigger heart muscles beat slower
tachycardia - ✔✔>95bpm, anxiety or exercise
pulse rhythm - ✔✔irregularity most common in children (sinus arrhythmia)
sinus arrhythmia - ✔✔speeding up at peak of inspiration and slowing to normal with
expiration
pulse force - ✔✔3+ full, bounding
2+ normal
1+ weak, thready
0 absent
respirations - ✔✔breaths per minute, pulse rate:respirations rate 4:1
normal adult: 10-20 breaths/min
systolic blood pressure - ✔✔max pressure felt on artery during LEFT ventricle
contraction
diastolic blood pressure - ✔✔elastic recoil or resting pressure between each contraction
pulse pressure - ✔✔systolic - diastolic
reflects stroke volume
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