Physical Assessment Case Study: Analysis of Patient Symptoms and Care

This case study focuses on the physical assessment of a 52-year-old female patient experiencing chest pain, edema, and shortness of breath. The assignment emphasizes the importance of a patient-centered approach, prioritizing the patient's subjective experience and primary symptoms. The assessment involves gathering initial information about the patient's feelings, the onset and nature of the symptoms, and any associated factors. The assignment highlights the significance of understanding the patient's perspective to formulate a comprehensive diagnosis and treatment plan. The case study also underscores the importance of considering the patient's medical history, including peripheral vascular disease and recent recovery from a lower leg infection, to provide a holistic approach to patient care. The use of PQRSTAU is key to determining why patients are seeking care.

Physical Assessment
Following the case study provided, bellow is the new thread for the physical assessment of the
patient.
I. How are you feeling today?
II. What does it feel like?
III. When did it start?
IV. Do this feeling go anywhere else?
V. Does anything make it better or worse?
VI. Any other symptom?
The priority assessment for the patient revolves on how the patient feels now. Often, in
contacting a physical examination, it is significant to prioritize the primary symptoms of the
patient. These symptoms encompass the ones that the assessor can directly observe with their
eyes seconded by the perspectives and views of the patient. Patient centered care is a vital aspect
in prioritization of physical assessment (Matuszak et al., 2016). A patient will feel free to provide
all the information regarding his/her illness when appreciated to do so. Therefore, the initial
information from the patient must be considered first in any physical examination. On the same
note, patients tend to seek medical help when they realize their health conditions are beyond their
control. This might be due to severe pain or any other adverse conditions like cough and
sneezing. Therefore, as an assessor, it is significant to acknowledge the primary symptoms of the
patient for they are the ones that cause discomfort within the patient (Jarvis, 2011). Furthermore,
the primary symptoms are often the guiding principle in stipulating the likely ill-health
conditions within the patient. Hence, in an assessment, it is vital to start by asking queries that
express the initial physical symptoms in order to generate a wide variety of diseases for
diagnosis.

References
Jarvis, C. (2011). Physical Examination and Health Assessment-E-Book. Elsevier Health
Sciences.
Matuszak, J. M., McVige, J., McPherson, J., Willer, B., & Leddy, J. (2016). A practical
concussion physical examination toolbox: evidence-based physical examination for
concussion. Sports health, 8(3), 260-269.