Patient Assessment and Evaluation Flashcards
7 cards from real APC 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 and Evaluation flashcards as text
A patient presents with a 3-day history of productive cough, fever of 38.5°C, and shortness of breath. Which assessment finding would most suggest pneumonia requiring urgent medical referral?
Answer: Oxygen saturation of 91% on room air
An oxygen saturation of 91% indicates hypoxemia and is a red flag requiring urgent medical referral as it suggests significant respiratory compromise.
When taking a medication history, a pharmacist uses the SCHOLAR-MAC acronym. What does the 'A' in MAC stand for?
Answer: Associated symptoms
In SCHOLAR-MAC, the 'A' in MAC stands for Associated symptoms, helping to characterize the full clinical picture of the complaint.
A 65-year-old patient taking warfarin reports starting a course of St John's Wort for low mood. Which assessment approach is most appropriate?
Answer: Assess INR urgently and refer to the prescriber due to significant drug-herb interaction
St John's Wort is a CYP450 inducer that significantly reduces warfarin levels, increasing thrombotic risk, requiring urgent INR assessment and prescriber notification.
During a patient consultation, which finding in a child under 2 years with diarrhea indicates moderate-to-severe dehydration?
Answer: Sunken fontanelle, dry mouth, and decreased urine output
Sunken fontanelle, dry mucous membranes, and decreased urine output are classic signs of moderate-to-severe dehydration in infants requiring urgent referral.
A patient asks for advice on a rash. Which feature of the rash would be an absolute indication for immediate medical referral?
Answer: Non-blanching purpuric spots on the lower limbs with fever
Non-blanching purpuric rash with fever may indicate meningococcal disease or vasculitis, constituting a medical emergency requiring immediate referral.
When assessing a patient's pain using the PQRST framework, what does the 'P' stand for?
Answer: Provoking and palliating factors
In the PQRST pain assessment tool, 'P' stands for Provoking and Palliating factors — what makes the pain better or worse.
A patient with type 2 diabetes reports frequent episodes of dizziness and sweating before meals. Which assessment question is most critical to ask first?
Answer: What medications are you currently taking and at what doses?
Identifying current medications and doses is critical first because sulfonylureas and insulin are common causes of hypoglycemia, and knowing the regimen guides the assessment.