Diagnostic Procedures, Nuclear Medicine,
and Pharmacology
Chapter 15
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Overview of Diagnostic Procedures,
Nuclear Medicine, and Pharmacology
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Basic Diagnostic Procedures
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•
•
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Vital signs
Auscultation
Palpation and percussion
Basic examination instruments
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Vital Signs
• Temperature: average normal is 98.6°F
(Fahrenheit) or 37.0°C (Celsius)
• Pulse: rhythmic pressure against walls of an
artery caused by beating of heart
• Respiration: number of complete breaths
per minute
• Blood pressure: force of blood against walls
of arteries
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Pulse Points of the Body
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Auscultation
• Auscultation
– Listening for sounds within the body
– Performed through a stethoscope
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Palpation and Percussion
• Palpation
– examiner’s hands feel texture, size, consistency,
and location of body parts
• Percussion
– determines density of a body part by sound
produced by tapping surface with fingers
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Basic Examination Instruments
• Ophthalmoscope: to examine interior of eye
• Otoscope: to examine external ear canal and
tympanic membrane
• Speculum: to enlarge opening of a canal or
cavity for inspection of its interior
• Stethoscope: to listen to sounds within the body
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Examination Positions
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•
•
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Recumbent positions
Sims’ position
Knee-chest position
Lithotomy position
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Recumbent Positions
• Horizontal recumbent position
– also known as supine position
– patient is lying on the back, face up
– used for examination and treatment of anterior
surface of the body and for x-rays
• Dorsal recumbent position
– patient lying on the back, face up, with the
knees bent
– used for examination and treatment of the
abdominal area and for vaginal or rectal exams
(continues)
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Recumbent Positions
• Lithotomy position
– patient lying on back, face up, with the feet and
legs raised and supported in stirrups
– used for vaginal and rectal examinations and
during childbirth
(continues)
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Recumbent Positions
• Prone position – patient lying on abdomen,
face down
• Sims’ position – patient lying on left side with
right knee and thigh drawn up with left arm
placed along back
• Knee-chest position – patient lying face down
with hips bent so knees and chest rest on table
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Laboratory Tests
• Blood tests
• Urinalysis
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Endoscopy
• Visual examination
• Endoscopic surgery
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Centesis
• Centesis: a surgical puncture to remove excess
fluid or to remove fluid for diagnostic purposes
• Used alone as a noun, or as a suffix in
conjunction with the combining form, describing
the body part being treated
(continues)
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Centesis
• Examples of centesis
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–
–
–
abdominocentesis
arthrocentesis
cardiocentesis
pericardiocentesis
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Imaging Techniques
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Radiography (x-ray)
Computerized tomography (CT)
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Fluoroscopy
Diagnostic ultrasound
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Nuclear Medicine
• Utilizes radioactive substances for both
diagnosis and treatment purposes.
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Radiographic Projections
and Positioning
• Projections
• Positioning
• Basic radiographic projections
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Terms Related to Pharmacology
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•
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Addiction
Adverse drug reaction (side effect)
Compliance
Contraindication
Drug interaction
(continues)
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Terms Related to Pharmacology
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•
•
•
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Palliative
Paradoxical drug reaction
Placebo
Idiosyncratic reaction
Potentiation (synergism)
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Key Word Parts and Definitions
• albumin/o
– albumin, protein
• calc/i
– calcium, lime, the heel
• -centesis
– surgical puncture to remove fluid
• creatin/o
– creatinine
(continues)
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Key Word Parts and Definitions
• glycos/o
– glucose, sugar
• -graphy
– the process of producing a picture or record
• hemat/o
– blood, relating to the blood
• lapar/o
– abdomen, abdominal wall
(continues)
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Key Word Parts and Definitions
• -otomy
– cutting, surgical incision
• phleb/o
– vein
• radi/o
– radiation, x-rays
• -scope
– instrument for visual examination
(continues)
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Key Word Parts and Definitions
• -scopy
– visual examination
• son/o
– sound
• -uria
– urination, urine
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Questions
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Question
In Sim’s position, which is used for examining
the rectal area, the patient is lying:
a. face down
b. on the left side with the right knee drawn up
c. on the back with the knees up
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Question
A lipid panel measures the ability of the liver to
secrete bilirubin into the bile.
True or False?
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Question
Which of these operations cannot be performed
using laparoscopic surgery?
a. appendectomy
b. cholecystectomy
c. cesarean section
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Question
Elephants have an average pulse of 27, and for
canaries the average is 1,000. What is the
average pulse for human beings?
a. 90
b. 120
c. 65
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