| System/Body Area | Elements of Examination |
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Constitutional
* All elements must be documented.
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Measurement of any three of the following seven vital signs:
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Sitting or standing blood pressure
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Supine blood pressure
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Pulse rate and regularity
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Respiration
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Temperature
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Height
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Weight (may be measured and recorded by ancillary staff)
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General appearance of patient (e.g., development, nutrition, body habitus, deformities, attention to grooming)
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Assessment of ability to communicate (e.g., use of sign language or other communication aids) and quality of voice
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Head and Face
* All elements must be documented.
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Inspection of head and face (e.g., overall appearance, scars, lesions and masses)
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Palpation and/or percussion of face with notation of presence or absence of sinus tenderness
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Examination of salivary glands
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Assessment of facial strength
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Eyes
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Ears, Nose,
Mouth and Throat
* All elements must be documented.
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Otoscopic examination of external auditory canals and tympanic membranes including pneumo-otoscopy with notation of mobility of membranes
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Assessment of hearing with tuning forks and clinical speech reception thresholds (e.g., whispered voice, finger rub)
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External inspection of ears and nose (e.g., overall appearance, scars, lesions and masses)
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Inspection of nasal mucosa, septum and turbinates
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Inspection of lips, teeth and gums
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Examination of oropharynx: oral mucosa, hard and soft palates, tongue, tonsils and posterior pharynx (e.g., asymmetry, lesions, hydration of mucosal surfaces)
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Inspection of pharyngeal walls and pyriform sinuses (e.g., pooling of saliva, asymmetry, lesions)
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Examination by mirror of larynx including the condition of the epiglottis, false vocal cords, true vocal cords and mobility of larynx (Use of mirror not required in children.)
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Examination by mirror of nasopharynx including appearance of the mucosa, adenoids, posterior choanae and eustachian tubes. (Use of mirror not required in children.)
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Neck
* All elements must be documented.
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Examination of neck (e.g., masses, overall appearance, symmetry, tracheal position, crepitus)
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Examination of thyroid (e.g., enlargement, tenderness, mass)
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Respiratory
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Inspection of chest including symmetry, expansion and/or assessment of respiratory effort (e.g., intercostal retractions, use of accessory muscles, diaphragmatic movement)
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Auscultation of lungs (e.g., breath sounds, adventitious sounds, rubs)
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Cardiovascular
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Auscultation of heart with notation of abnormal sounds and murmurs
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Examination of peripheral vascular system by observation (e.g., swelling, varicosities) and palpation (e.g., pulses, temperature, edema, tenderness)
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Lymphatic
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Neurological/
Psychiatric
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Brief assessment of mental status including:
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Orientation to time, place and person
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Mood and affect (e.g., depression, anxiety, agitation)
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