Which of the following would be considered a patients symptom, rather than a sign?
To assist medical and non-medical staff in identifying ill persons, CDC provides the following signs and symptoms that might indicate communicable diseases. Show Fever
Note: Even though measured temperature is the preferred and most accurate method to determine fever, it is not always possible to do this. In certain situations, other methods of detecting a possible fever should be considered:
The presence of fever suggests an infectious cause, but fever is not always present with an infection. Skin rash means abnormal areas on the skin that may appear as discolored bumps or flat spots or areas, or blisters or bumps containing fluid or pus that are intact or crusted over. “Rash” includes insect bites or parasite lesions.
Fever plus rash may indicate communicable diseases such as chickenpox, measles, or rubella (German measles). Conjunctivitis means the person has inflammation of the eye or inner eyelid tissue (conjunctiva). Symptoms include redness, pain or itching, and discharge (fluid or pus). Coryza means the person has a runny nose or congestion caused by inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nose. Persistent cough means that the cough is frequent and severe enough to catch the attention of the crew or another passenger. Cough with blood (bloody sputum) means that the person is coughing up blood. Persistent cough may indicate diseases of public health concern, such as pertussis, tuberculosis, legionellosis, or influenza. Sore throat means painful throat or pain on swallowing. Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath means the person is
Difficulty breathing—especially with fever—may indicate a traveler has a respiratory infection, such as pneumonia, diphtheria, or influenza. Swollen glands means the person has enlargement of the glands (lymph nodes) located in the head, neck, axilla (armpit), or groin. Acute gastroenteritis (inflammation of stomach or intestines or both), defined as:
Diarrhea defined as above and the diarrhea is frequent and severe enough that
Diarrhea may indicate the person has acute gastroenteritis, such as norovirus, Salmonella, or cholera. Persistent vomiting means that the person
Persistent vomiting may indicate the person has acute gastroenteritis, such as Salmonella or norovirus infection. Jaundice means the person has yellowish discoloration of skin and/or whites (sclera) of the eyes. Acute (new onset) jaundice can be a sign of a liver infection, such as hepatitis A. Headache means the person has head pain of unusual severity. Neck stiffness means the person has difficulty moving the neck or severe pain during neck movement. Decreased level of consciousness or confusion means the person
Decreased consciousness, especially in the presence of fever or rash, may indicate the traveler has a serious neurological infection, such as meningococcal meningitis, or a serious infection in another body system. Recent onset of focal weakness and/or paralysis means new weakness or complete paralysis (difficulty moving or unable to move) of the arms, legs, neck, or the muscles used for swallowing or breathing; unrelated to trauma. Bruising or bleeding (without previous injury) means the person has noticeable and unusual bruising or bleeding from gums, ears, nose, or areas on the skin with no obvious explanation (such as injury), is vomiting blood, or has bloody stool or urine. Bruising or bleeding, especially in the presence of fever, may indicate that the person has a hemorrhagic fever, such as Ebola. Obviously unwell means the person appears ill enough to require medical care. Chronic condition means the person has a noninfectious medical condition of at least 1 month’s duration, such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, emphysema, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, gastric reflux, inflammatory bowel disease, lupus, or glaucoma. The passenger or crew member may be receiving treatment for these conditions, and the conditions may affect multiple organ systems. Asymptomatic means a person who does not report or appear to have any symptoms or signs of illness. Injury means a wound or trauma, harm or hurt, usually used to refer to damage inflicted on the body by an external force. Pneumonia means an infection of the lungs that can cause mild to severe illness. It can be caused by viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Pneumonia can be diagnosed through a medical examination or by imaging of the lungs such as with a chest x-ray. Muscle Aches Other means the symptom or sign does not fall under any of the other listed signs or symptoms (e.g., pain, itching, feeling weak, dizziness, psychiatric symptoms [inappropriate behavior]) Abdominal Cramps What is a symptom rather than a sign?A symptom is a manifestation of disease apparent to the patient himself, while a sign is a manifestation of disease that the physician perceives. The sign is objective evidence of disease; a symptom, subjective.
What is an example of a patient symptom?A physical or mental problem that a person experiences that may indicate a disease or condition. Symptoms cannot be seen and do not show up on medical tests. Some examples of symptoms are headache, fatigue, nausea, and pain.
Which of the following are examples of symptoms as opposed to signs?The key difference between signs and symptoms is who observes the effect. For example, a rash could be a sign, a symptom, or both: If the patient notices the rash, it is a symptom. If the doctor, nurse, or anyone other than the patient notices the rash, it is a sign.
Is pain a symptom or sign?A symptom is something felt or experienced, such as pain or dizziness. Signs and symptoms are not mutually exclusive, for example a subjective feeling of fever can be noted as sign by using a thermometer that registers a high reading.
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