The nurse is interviewing the mother of an infant. She reports, "I had a difficult delivery, and my baby was born preterm." This information should be recorded under which of the following headings?
A) Past history
B) Present illness
C) Chief complaint
D) Review of systems

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The past history refers to information that relates to previous aspects of the child's health, not to the current problem. The mother's difficult delivery and prematurity are important parts of the past history of an infant. The history of the present illness is a narrative of the chief complaint from its earliest onset through its progression to the present. Unless the chief complaint is directly related to the prematurity, this information is not included in the history of present illness. The chief complaint is the specific reason for the child's visit to the clinic, office, or hospital. It would not include the birth information. The review of systems is a specific review of each body system. It does not include the preterm birth. Sequelae such as pulmonary dysfunction would be included.

The Nurse Is Interviewing the Mother of an Infant