Deck 4: History Taking

Question 1

A patient who appears to be intoxicated has fallen and is complaining of pain in his right arm. He is agitated and loud. Which one of the following is appropriate to your initial approach to taking the history for this patient?

A) "If you do not quiet down, I will call the police, and they will arrest you."
B) "How much have you had to drink?"
C) "I cannot help you if you keep yelling like that!"
D) "Stop yelling, or I will have to strap you to the stretcher."

Answer 1

"How much have you had to drink?"

Question 2

Asking a patient, "Where does it hurt?" represents what part of the OPQRST question format?

A) P
B) Q
C) O
D) R

Answer 2

R

Question 3

For trauma patients you will use an abbreviated version of the past history known as:

A) CAGE.
B) HEENT.
C) OPQRST-ASPN.
D) SAMPLE.

Answer 3

SAMPLE.

Question 4

Areas in the patient's current health status include all of the following EXCEPT:

A) home situation.
B) previous illnesses.
C) sleep patterns.
D) environmental hazards.

Question 5

What does the "C" in the CAGE alcohol-screening tool stand for?

A) Are you careful when you drink?
B) What causes your drinking?
C) Are you concerned about your drinking?
D) Have you ever felt the need to cut down on your drinking?

Question 6

Elements of the patient history include all of the following EXCEPT:

A) physical examination.
B) present illness.
C) current health status.
D) preliminary data.

Question 7

Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding the components of a comprehensive patient history?

A) Use only one component, so as to not confuse the patient.
B) Use the components that apply to the patient's situation.
C) Use all components every time you interview a patient.
D) Use the components the patient chooses.

Question 8

Which of the following questions is designed to find out about palliation?

A) "What were you doing when this pain began?"
B) "How long have you been having this pain?"
C) "What does the pain feel like?"
D) "What makes the pain feel better?"

Question 9

Asking a patient, "Can you rate your pain on a 0 to 10 scale?" represents what part of the OPQRST question format?

A) S
B) T
C) R
D) Q

Question 10

Asking a patient, "Does it hurt more when you breathe deeply?" represents what part of the OPQRST question format?

A) Q
B) O
C) R
D) P

Question 11

Which of the following pieces of information should you record as preliminary data?

A) The chief complaint
B) Elements of the past history
C) Aspects of the present illness
D) The patient's age

Question 12

Questions to ask about a patient's past medical history include all of the following areas EXCEPT:

A) surgeries or injuries.
B) general state of health.
C) adult diseases.
D) duration of the pain.

Question 13

Asking a patient, "What were you doing when this problem began?" represents what part of the OPQRST question format?

A) P
B) Q
C) O
D) R

Question 14

A practical template for exploring various aspects of a chief complaint is:

A) SAMPLE.
B) ABCDE.
C) OPQRST-ASPN.
D) AEIOU-TIPS.

Question 15

Using knowledge and experience to diagnose patients and plan their treatment is called clinical:

A) judgment.
B) intuition.
C) practice.
D) reflection.

Question 16

Critical thinking is a thought process used to:

A) defend one's actions in a CQI review process.
B) establish credibility with an emergency physician.
C) analyze and evaluate.
D) focus on a situation's most important aspect.

Question 17

Which of the following is the best example of referred pain?

A) Right shoulder pain associated with cholecystitis
B) Abdominal pain related to pancreatitis
C) Flank pain associated with a kidney stone
D) Chest pain located under the sternum associated with a cardiac condition

Question 18

An example of a primary problem is:

A) myocardial infarction.
B) leg pain.
C) nausea.
D) shortness of breath.

Question 19

A sign or symptom that causes a patient or bystander to request medical help is known as the:

A) primary problem.
B) present illness.
C) associated symptom.
D) chief complaint.

Question 20

Which of the following words are most likely to accurately represent the patient's chief complaint?

A) Chest pain
B) Myocardial infarction
C) Dyspnea
D) Fractured tibia