CMA Vital Signs and Patient Assessment 3

Question 1

Which scale is most commonly used to assess pain in a standard adult patient assessment?

Accepted Answer

Numeric Rating Scale (0–10)

Answer

The 0–10 Numeric Rating Scale is the most widely used pain assessment tool for cognitively intact adults in clinical settings.

Question 2

When taking a patient's medical history, the abbreviation 'CC' stands for:

Accepted Answer

Chief Complaint

Answer

CC stands for Chief Complaint, the primary reason the patient is seeking medical care today.

Question 3

A blood pressure cuff that is too small for the patient will produce a reading that is:

Accepted Answer

Falsely high

Answer

A cuff that is too small requires greater inflation to compress the artery, resulting in a falsely elevated blood pressure reading.

Question 4

Orthostatic hypotension is defined as a drop in systolic BP of at least how many mmHg upon standing?

Accepted Answer

20 mmHg

Answer

Orthostatic hypotension is defined as a systolic BP decrease of ≥20 mmHg (or diastolic ≥10 mmHg) within 3 minutes of standing.

Question 5

The apical pulse is auscultated at which location on the chest?

Accepted Answer

Fifth intercostal space, midclavicular line

Answer

The apical pulse is heard at the 5th intercostal space along the left midclavicular line, the point of maximum impulse (PMI).

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