Quint Gardner, a 35-year-old established patient, is in the office for his annual checkup. He says he feels great, and he appears to be in good physical condition. According to office policy, you check his blood pressure using the aneroid sphygmomanometer and his temperature using an axillary thermometer. His vital signs are: BP: 118/88, R: 16, T: 102.4, P: 62. Given these vitals what would the medical assistant's next step be?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The patient's temperature of 102.4°F is significantly elevated, indicating a fever. Since the temperature was taken axillary (under the arm), which can be less accurate than other methods, rechecking the temperature with a different type of thermometer (e.g., oral, rectal, tympanic) would be a prudent next step to confirm the fever's presence and exact magnitude.

Quint Gardner, a 35-Year-Old Established Patient, Is in the Office