Physical Assessment Components - Health Assessment for Nursing | @LevelUpRN

Summary

In this video, Meris provides a comprehensive review of the physical assessment process, guiding viewers through key steps such as inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation. She explains the purpose of each technique, from using sight to assess symmetry and posture, to touch for tenderness and temperature. Special focus is given to assessing the abdomen, where the order of steps differs. Meris also introduces a helpful memory device to remember the correct order of assessment components, and finishes with quiz questions to test viewers' knowledge.

Takeaways

• 😀 Inspection involves using sight to assess size, shape, color, symmetry, and other visual characteristics.
• 😀 Palpation uses the sense of touch to assess temperature, moisture, vibration, texture, and tenderness.
• 😀 The dorsal surface of the hand is used to assess temperature, while the palmar surface (under the fingers) is used for vibration.
• 😀 When assessing tenderness, always start far from the painful area and end with the most tender spot to avoid guarding and inaccurate results.
• 😀 Percussion involves tapping over body parts to assess specific findings, usually done by nurse practitioners or physicians.
• 😀 Blunt percussion can be used to assess costovertebral angle tenderness by tapping on the patient's back.
• 😀 Auscultation means using a stethoscope to listen to body sounds such as heart, lung, and bowel sounds, as well as abnormal sounds like bruits.
• 😀 The general order of physical assessment is: inspection → palpation → percussion → auscultation.
• 😀 When assessing the abdomen, the order is modified: inspection → auscultation → percussion → palpation to avoid altering bowel sounds.
• 😀 A helpful memory device for the order of abdominal assessment is: 'Take a look at my belly. I am perfect pal.' (I for inspection, A for auscultation, P for percussion, P for palpation.)
• 😀 Quiz questions help reinforce key points like the types of assessment that involve touch (palpation and percussion) and the correct order of abdominal assessment.

Q & A

What are the four main types of physical assessment?

The four main types of physical assessment are Inspection, Palpation, Percussion, and Auscultation.

How does inspection help in physical assessment?

Inspection uses sight to assess the size, shape, color, symmetry, and any abnormalities of a patient's body.

What part of the hand is used for assessing temperature during palpation?

The dorsal (back) surface of the hand is used to assess temperature, similar to how a mother might check a child's temperature.

Why is palpation important for assessing tenderness?

Palpation is used to assess tenderness by gently pressing on different parts of the body. It is crucial to start away from the most tender area to avoid muscle guarding and ensure accurate assessment.

What is the purpose of percussion in a physical assessment?

Percussion involves tapping over the body to assess the underlying structures, often used by healthcare providers like physicians or nurse practitioners.

When performing percussion, what is blunt percussion used for?

Blunt percussion is used to assess costovertebral angle tenderness, where the fist is used to tap on the patient's back.

What is auscultation, and when is it used?

Auscultation is the process of listening to body sounds with a stethoscope, commonly used to assess heart sounds, lung sounds, bowel sounds, and abnormal sounds like bruits.

What is the normal order of steps in a physical assessment?

The typical order is Inspection, Palpation, Percussion, and then Auscultation.

How does the abdominal assessment differ in terms of the order of steps?

In abdominal assessments, the order is changed to: Inspection, Auscultation, Percussion, and then Palpation, to avoid altering bowel sounds with palpation.

What is the cool chicken hint used to remember the order of abdominal assessment?

The cool chicken hint is: 'Take a look at my belly. I am perfect pal,' where 'I' stands for Inspection, 'A' for Auscultation, 'P' for Percussion, and 'P' for Palpation.