OPQRST & SAMPLE Quiz: Patient Assessment Techniques

Study Notes

OPQRST

Mnemonic for assessing patient symptoms during acute illness or injury.
Each letter prompts essential questions in patient assessments.

OPQRST Breakdown

O: Onset - Inquire when symptoms started and what the patient was doing.
P: Provocation - Determine what aggravates or alleviates the chief complaint.
Q: Quality - Ask the patient to describe the nature of the pain.
R: Radiation - Identify if the pain radiates and its pathway.
S: Severity - Rate the pain on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being most severe.
T: Time - Investigate the duration of symptoms and when the chief complaint began.

SAMPLE

Mnemonic used for secondary assessment to gather diagnostic information from the patient or bystanders.
Key for assessing unconscious patients through proactive information gathering.

SAMPLE Breakdown

S: Signs and Symptoms - Identify chief complaint and visible indicators.
A: Allergies - Ascertain any known allergens that may provoke reactions.
M: Medications - Inquire about daily prescriptions and other substances (S.H.O.P).
P: Past Medical History - Assess any previous episodes or underlying conditions.
L: Last Oral Intake - Document recent eating/drinking or last known healthy state.
E: Events - Establish activities leading up to the chief complaint.

APGAR Scale

Evaluates newborn health at birth to determine need for medical intervention.
Scoring ranges from 0 to 2 across five indicators, with lower scores indicating increased medical need.

APGAR Breakdown

A: Activity (muscle tone) -
- 0 points: Absent
- 1 point: Flexed limbs
- 2 points: Active movement
P: Pulse -
- 0 points: Absent
- 1 point: Below 100 bpm
- 2 points: Above 100 bpm
G: Grimace (reflex irritability) -
- 0 points: No response
- 1 point: Minimal response
- 2 points: Prompt response
Second A: Appearance (skin color) -
- 0 points: Blue or pale
- 1 point: Pink body with blue extremities
- 2 points: Entire body pink
R: Respiration -
- 0 points: Absent
- 1 point: Slow/irregular
- 2 points: Strong crying

Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)

Assesses patient consciousness and neurological function, critical for evaluating brain injury severity.
Contains three components: Eye Opening Response, Best Verbal Response, Best Motor Response.

Description

This quiz covers the essential mnemonics OPQRST and SAMPLE used in patient assessments during acute illness or injury. Each mnemonic aids in gathering crucial information for effective diagnosis, ensuring thorough evaluation of patient symptoms. Test your knowledge on how to properly utilize these techniques in a clinical setting.