Question

11) Why is the distinction between - Important? Give two examples of signs and symptoms each 2) Why is pain assessment included in patient assessment? 3) Why are both signs and panent records? symptoms included in

Answer 1

Answer 1: Signs are the objective data that can be seen. For example, Patient having a rash is a sign whereas symptoms are considered as subjective data which is experienced only by the patient like headache or stomach pain.
Distinction between both is very essential in order to make the correct diagnosis and plan treatment. If the nurse/doctor does not take correct history of the patient including his sign & symptoms, it can lead to a wrong plan of care. Also, not all the symptoms turn out to be medically diagnosed. So, distinction between both is necessary.
Examples of Sign: AIDS, Fracture or Bleeding
Examples of Symptoms: body pain, headache, etc.

ANSWER 2: Pain assessment is very essential while doing assessment of the patient as pain is considered as the fifth vital sign and one of the foremost factor in calculating/planning care as well as in the patient's recovery. If the patient is in pain, the level of their physical, social and psychological comfort is altered. Hence, it is very important for Nurses to effectively assess pain level (PQRST) while doing the patient's assessment and provide pharmacological or other therapies in order to reduce the pain level. Therefore, pain assessment is always an essential part of the overall assessment as it provides the nurse tool to enhance patient's comfort and their recovery.

ANSWER 3: Both signs & symptoms are included in the patient's record in order to make the correct diagnoses. Also, Patient's records are accessed by other members of the healthcare team like physiotherapists, Dieticians, etc, hence, it's very important for all the members of the team to be aware about the patient's signs & symptoms and the medical history. It also serves as a part of the legal system which can be used in the future.
Moreover, Including signs & symptoms in the medical records gives a trend of the clinical manifestations of the disease from time to time.