1. What are the three levels of prevention in primary care and how do they apply to

individuals across the lifespan and families? Provide an example for each level.

- The three levels of prevention are primary, secondary and tertiary. Primary

prevention aims to prevent disease or injury before it occurs by reducing risk

factors or enhancing protective factors. For example, immunization, health

education, family planning, etc. Secondary prevention aims to detect and treat

disease or injury early, before it causes significant morbidity or mortality. For

example, screening tests, early diagnosis, treatment, referral, etc. Tertiary

prevention aims to reduce the impact of disease or injury that has already

occurred by restoring function, preventing complications and improving quality of

life. For example, rehabilitation, palliative care, chronic disease management, etc.

2. What are the four main components of a comprehensive health history and what

information should be obtained for each component? Explain why each

component is important for primary care.

- The four main components of a comprehensive health history are biographical data,

reason for visit, present illness and past medical history. Biographical data include

basic information about the patient such as name, age, gender, marital status,

occupation, etc. This helps to establish rapport and identify demographic factors

that may influence health status or access to care. Reason for visit includes the

chief complaint or the main reason why the patient seeks care. This helps to focus

the history and prioritize the most urgent or relevant issues. Present illness

includes a detailed description of the symptoms, onset, duration, frequency,

severity, location, radiation, quality, aggravating and relieving factors, associated

symptoms and treatments related to the chief complaint. This helps to elicit a

comprehensive picture of the patient's current condition and formulate a

differential diagnosis. Past medical history includes information about previous

illnesses, surgeries, hospitalizations, allergies, medications, immunizations, family

history and social history. This helps to identify risk factors, comorbidities, genetic

predispositions and lifestyle behaviors that may affect the patient's current or

future health.

3. What are the five vital signs that should be measured and recorded for every

patient in primary care? What are the normal ranges for each vital sign and what

are some possible causes of abnormal values?

- The five vital signs are temperature, pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and

oxygen saturation. The normal ranges for each vital sign are:

- Temperature: 36.5°C to 37.5°C (97.7°F to 99.5°F). Abnormal values may indicate

infection, inflammation, dehydration, thyroid dysfunction or environmental

exposure.