1. What are the four main components of a comprehensive physical examination? Explain the purpose and procedure of each component. - The four main components are: health history, inspection, palpation, and auscultation. Health history is the collection of subjective data from the patient, such as their medical history, family history, medications, allergies, and chief complaint. Inspection is the visual examination of the patient's body, such as their skin, hair, nails, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, neck, chest, abdomen, extremities, and genitals. Palpation is the use of touch to assess the patient's skin temperature, texture, moisture, turgor, lesions, masses, tenderness, and organ size and location. Auscultation is the use of a stethoscope to listen to the patient's heart, lungs, and bowel sounds. 2. What are some common abnormal findings in the head and neck examination? How would you document and report them? - Some common abnormal findings are: enlarged or tender lymph nodes, thyroid nodules or goiter, carotid bruits or thrills, jugular venous distension or pressure, cranial nerve deficits, facial asymmetry or drooping, scalp lesions or lumps, ear discharge or pain, hearing loss or tinnitus, nasal obstruction or discharge, sinus tenderness or inflammation, oral lesions or ulcers, dental caries or abscesses, tongue deviation or tremor, pharyngeal erythema or exudate, tonsillar enlargement or inflammation. To document and report them, you should use clear and concise language that describes the location, size, shape, color, consistency, mobility, tenderness, and any associated symptoms of the abnormal finding. You should also compare the findings with the normal side or baseline and indicate the severity or grade of the abnormality. 3. How do you perform a cardiac examination? What are some normal and abnormal heart sounds that you may hear? - To perform a cardiac examination, you should first inspect the patient's chest for any visible pulsations or heaves. Then you should palpate the patient's chest for any thrills or lifts. Next you should locate and palpate the apical impulse or point of maximal impulse (PMI) at the fifth intercostal space in the midclavicular line. Finally you should auscultate the patient's heart at four main areas: aortic area (second intercostal space at the right sternal border), pulmonic area (second intercostal space at the left sternal border), tricuspid area (fourth intercostal space at the left lower sternal border), and mitral area (fifth intercostal space at the midclavicular line). You should listen for the normal heart sounds S1 and S2 and identify their timing and intensity. You should also listen for any abnormal heart sounds such as S3 (a lowpitched sound heard after S2 in early diastole), S4 (a low-pitched sound heard before S1 in late diastole), murmurs (prolonged sounds caused by turbulent blood flow through valves or vessels), clicks (high-pitched sounds caused by valve prolapse), rubs (grating sounds caused by pericardial inflammation), or gallops (a rhythm with three or four sounds). 4. How do you assess a patient’s respiratory system? What are some normal and abnormal breath sounds that you may hear?