Random stuff to know!

Question 1

What is the auscultatory gap?

Answer 1

It is a period of diminished or absent Korotkoff sounds during the manual measurement of blood pressure

Also known as the silent gap

Question 2

What is the apex beat?

Answer 2

It is the pulse felt at the point of maximum impulse

Question 3

What are Upper motor neurone (UMN) lesion signs?

Answer 3

• Weakness
• Increased reflexes
• Positive Babinski sign
• Increased muscle tone
• Spastic paresis
• No atrophy or fasciculations unlike LMN

Question 4

What are Lower Motor Neurone (LMN) lesion signs?

Answer 4

• Weakness
• Muscle Atrophy
• Fasciculations
• Decreased reflexes
• Decreased muscle tone
• Flaccid paralysis

Question 5

What can cause heart murmurs?

Answer 5

• An abnormal valve
• Increased volume or velocity of blood flow through a normal valve
• Abnormal openings between chambers, usually congenital

Question 6

Why would you use the bell of the stethoscope?

Answer 6

Low pitched sounds are best heard using the bell

Whereas high pitched sounds are best heard using the diaphragm

Question 7

Aortic Stenosis

Answer 7

High-pitched ejection systolic murmur

Question 8

Mitral Regurgitation

Answer 8

High-pitched pansystolic murmur

Question 9

Mitral stenosis

Answer 9

Low-pitched‘rumbling’ mid-diastolic murmur

Which is why you use the bell

Question 10

Aortic regurgitation

Answer 10

High-pitched early diastolic murmur

Question 11

Taking a tympanic temperature steps

Answer 11

1. Clean your hands
2. Introduce yourself to the patient and check patient identity.
3. Explain to the patient that you are going to take their temperature by placing a thermometer in their ear canal.
4. Ask the patient if they have any pain in their ears and obtain patient consent.
5. Inspect the ear canal for obvious wax.
6. Switch the thermometer on and check the screen displays °C and ORL next to person icon
7. Press the probe tip into a probe cover and twist.
8. Insert the probe gently into the ear canal.
9. Press the button and wait for the thermometer to bleep.
10. Remove thermometer from the ear and record the thermometer
11. Dispose of thermometer disposable tip in an orange coloured clinical waste bag.
12. Clean your hands if moving on to see another patient.

Question 12

Taking a Temperature with a non-contact thermometer steps

Answer 12

1. Explain to the patient that you are going to take their temperature using a non-contact
   thermometer
2. Obtain patient’s consent
3. Press °C/°F and choose °C
4. Press MODE until the word body appears on the screen
5. To measure a temperature, with the thermometer positioned about 5 – 8 cm from the
   forehead, press the scan button
6. The temperature will be instantly displayed on screen
7. The temperature display will remain lit for about 5 seconds after the button is released
8. After the display has shut off another temperature reading can be taken
   N.B. allow at least 5 seconds before repeating or taking a new temperature