General Examination and Symptomatology in Internal Medicine

24 Questions

What is the primary purpose of the AVPU scale in assessing a patient's conscious level?

To provide a rapid and initial assessment of a patient's conscious level

What is the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) used for?

To provide a detailed assessment of a patient's conscious level

What is the term for a mildly depressed level of consciousness or alertness?

Lethargy

What is the term for the lack of critical mental function and a level of consciousness, in which an affected person is almost entirely unresponsive?

Stupor

What is included in the general examination of a patient?

Mental state, body built, decubitus, general look, complexion, and vital signs

What is the term for a patient who is conscious, well oriented to time, place, and persons, and has an average mood and memory?

Normal

What is the definition of Coma?

The inability to make any purposeful response

What is the formula for calculating Body Mass Index (BMI)?

Weight in kg / (Height in M)2

What is the term for dyspnea on lying flat, relieved by semi-sitting position?

Orthopnea

What is the term for the position of lying flat with the chest down and the back up?

Prone position

What is the cause of pallor, a pale color of the skin?

Reduced amount of oxyhaemoglobin

What is the term for the measurement from the top of the head to the upper border of the symphysis pubis?

Upper body segment

What is the minimum amount of deoxygenated blood required for cyanosis to occur?

5 g/dl

Which type of cyanosis affects the distal extremities and sometimes involves circumoral and periorbital areas?

Peripheral cyanosis

What is the common cause of central cyanosis due to inadequate oxygenation?

Intracranial hemorrhage

Which of the following is NOT a cardiovascular cause of central cyanosis?

Asthma

What is the term for the inadequate oxygenation of the blood due to ventilation-perfusion mismatch and impaired alveolar-arterial diffusion?

Ventilation-perfusion mismatch

What is the term for the blueish discoloration of the skin or mucous membranes due to an increase in deoxygenated blood?

Cyanosis

What is the term for a yellowish discoloration of skin and mucous membrane due to increased serum bilirubin?

Jaundice

What is the normal temperature above which a person is considered to have a fever?

100 F (37.8 C)

What is the term for a condition where the body's core temperature falls below 35 C°?

Hypothermia

What is the term for increased blood viscosity due to certain medical conditions?

Hyperviscosity

What is the term for a condition where the body's core temperature rises above 41°C, causing its thermoregulatory mechanism to break down?

Hyperthermia

What is the term for a condition characterized by a bluish discoloration of the skin due to reduced oxygen levels in the blood?

Cyanosis

Study Notes

Cyanosis

Characterized by a blueish discoloration of the skin or mucous membranes due to increased deoxygenated blood (>5 g/dL)
Types:
- Central cyanosis: generalized bluish discoloration of the body and visible mucous membranes due to inadequate oxygenation
- Peripheral cyanosis: bluish discoloration of the distal extremities (hands, fingertips, toes), sometimes involving circumoral and periorbital areas

Causes of Central Cyanosis

Hypoventilation due to conditions affecting the central nervous system (intra-cranial hemorrhage, tonic-clonic seizures, heroin overdose)
Pulmonary causes (bronchospasm, pulmonary embolism, pneumonia, bronchiolitis, pulmonary hypertension, hyperventilation, COPD)
Cardiovascular causes (heart failure, congenital heart diseases, valvular heart diseases)