Patient Assessment Flashcards
7 cards from real FISDAP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Patient Assessment flashcards as text
A patient presents with a GCS score of 3. This indicates:
Answer: No eye opening, no verbal response, no motor response
A GCS of 3 is the minimum possible score, indicating no eye opening (1), no verbal response (1), and no motor response (1).
You are reassessing a patient every 5 minutes. Under what condition is this interval appropriate?
Answer: Unstable or potentially unstable patient
Unstable patients require reassessment every 5 minutes to detect deterioration and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions.
During assessment, a patient rates abdominal pain as 9/10. You note guarding and rigidity. These findings together MOST suggest which priority level?
Answer: High priority — expedite transport
Severe pain with peritoneal signs (guarding and rigidity) indicates a high-priority patient requiring rapid transport to a definitive care facility.
Which physical finding is MOST associated with right-sided heart failure during patient assessment?
Answer: Jugular vein distension
Right-sided heart failure causes systemic venous congestion, resulting in jugular vein distension due to backed-up venous return.
A patient involved in a high-speed MVC is ambulatory at the scene and denies pain. Based on mechanism alone, your assessment priority should be:
Answer: High — significant mechanism warrants thorough assessment
A significant mechanism of injury such as high-speed MVC warrants a high index of suspicion and thorough assessment regardless of the patient's current complaints.
During assessment of a burn patient, which finding would MOST indicate airway involvement from inhalation injury?
Answer: Singed nasal hairs and carbonaceous sputum
Singed nasal hairs, burned facial hair, and carbonaceous (sooty) sputum are key indicators of upper airway inhalation injury.
When performing a rapid trauma assessment, which mnemonic helps guide evaluation of each body region?
Answer: DCAP-BTLS
DCAP-BTLS (Deformities, Contusions, Abrasions, Punctures/Penetrations, Burns, Tenderness, Lacerations, Swelling) guides systematic physical assessment of each body region.