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Equipment
Table 6.1
101
Equipment Used During the Physical Assessment
EQUIPMENT
USE
Cotton balls or wisps
Cotton-tipped applicators
Culture media
Dental mirror
Doppler ultrasonic stethoscope
Flashlight
Gauze squares
Gloves
Goggles
Lubricant
Nasal speculum
Ophthalmoscope
Otoscope
Penlight
Reflex hammer
Ruler, marked in centimeters
Skin-marking pen
Slides
Specimen containers
Sphygmomanometer
Sterile safety pin
Stethoscope
Tape measure, flexible, marked
in centimeters
Test tubes
Thermometer
Tongue blade
Tuning fork
Vaginal speculum
Vision chart
Watch with second hand
Test the sense of touch
Obtain specimens
Obtain cultures of body fluids and drainage
Visualize mouth and throat structures
Obtain readings of blood pressure, pulse, and fetal heart rate
Provide a direct source of light to view parts of the body
Obtain specimens; collect drainage
Protect the nurse and client from contamination
Protect the nurse’s eyes from contamination by body fluids
Provide lubrication for vaginal or rectal examinations
Dilate nares for inspection of the nose
Inspect the interior structures of the eye
Inspect the tympanic membrane and external ear canal
Provide a direct light source and test pupillary reaction
Test deep tendon reflexes
Measure organs, masses, growths, and lesions
Outline masses or enlarged organs
Make smears of body fluids or drainage
Collect specimens of body fluids, drainage, or tissue
Measure systolic and diastolic blood pressure
Test for sensory stimulation
Auscultate body sounds
Measure the circumference of the head, abdomen, and extremities
Collect specimens
Measure body temperature
Depress tongue during assessment of the mouth and throat
Test auditory function and vibratory sensation
Dilate the vaginal canal for inspection of the cervix
Test near and far vision
Time heart rates, fetal pulse, or bowel sounds when counting
(continued)
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
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CHAPTER 6
Table 6.1
Techniques and Equipment
Equipment Used During the Physical Assessment (continued)
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
USE/DESCRIPTION
Measures the degree of joint flexion and extension. Consists of two straight arms of clear plastic usually
marked in both inches and centimeters. The arms intersect and can be angled and rotated around a
protractor marked with degrees. The nurse places the center of the protractor over a joint and aligns the
straight arms with the extremity. The degree of flexion or extension is indicated on the protractor.
Goniometer
Measures the thickness of subcutaneous tissue. The nurse grasps a fold of skin, usually on the upper arm,
waist, or thigh, keeping the sides of the skin parallel. The edges of the caliper are placed at the base of the
fold and the calipers tightened until they grasp the fold without compressing it.
Skinfold calipers
Detects blood, fluid, or masses in body cavities. Instruments manufactured for transillumination are available,
or a flashlight with a rubber adapter may be used. In either case, the light beam produced is strong but
narrow. When directed through a body cavity, the beam produces a red glow that reveals the presence of
air or fluid.
Transilluminator
Detects fungal infections of the skin. The Wood’s lamp produces a black light, which the nurse shines on the
skin in a darkened room. If a fungal infection is present, a characteristic yellow-green fluorescence appears
on the skin surface.
Wood’s lamp
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.