AANP FNP key terms

A structured set of questions that screens each body system for symptoms the patient may not mention spontaneously. It follows the history of present illness and flags problems that need further assessment.

A mnemonic that expands a symptom into a full description: onset, location, duration, character, aggravating and alleviating factors, radiation, timing, and severity. It turns a vague complaint into detail that narrows the differential.

A score from 3 to 15 based on eye opening, verbal response, and motor response that grades level of consciousness. Lower scores mean more severe impairment, and serial scores track deterioration or recovery.

Bedside tuning-fork tests that compare air with bone conduction in one ear and lateralization between ears. Together they help classify hearing loss as conductive or sensorineural before formal audiometry.

A knee maneuver performed with the joint slightly flexed while the examiner stabilizes the femur and draws the tibia forward. Increased translation with a soft endpoint suggests anterior cruciate ligament injury.

A nine-item self-report questionnaire that rates how often depressive symptoms occurred over the past two weeks. It grades severity and tracks response to treatment but supports rather than replaces clinical diagnosis.

A ranked list of plausible explanations for a patient's presentation, ordered by likelihood and by how dangerous each would be if missed. It is built from the history and examination, then narrowed by testing.

The proportion of people who truly have a condition and are correctly identified by a test as positive. A highly sensitive test is most useful for ruling out disease when the result is negative.

The proportion of people without the condition who are correctly identified by a test as negative. A highly specific test is most useful for confirming disease when the result is positive.

The probability that a person with a positive test result truly has the condition. It rises as the condition becomes more common in the population tested, unlike sensitivity and specificity.

A number describing how much a given test result shifts the probability of disease. A positive ratio above 10 or a negative ratio below 0.1 usually changes management.

The estimated chance that a patient has a condition before any test is ordered, based on history, examination, and local prevalence. It determines whether a test can meaningfully change management.

A symptom or finding that suggests possible serious or life-threatening disease and requires urgent evaluation instead of routine management. Examples include unexplained weight loss, night pain, and new neurologic deficits.

The proportion of a population that has a condition at a given point in time or over a stated period. It counts both new and existing cases and shapes how much a positive result can be trusted.

The treatment recommended as initial management in current guidelines, chosen for the best balance of benefit, harm, cost, and patient factors. Alternatives are used for nonresponse, intolerance, or contraindication.

The most serious warning the FDA requires on a prescription drug label, framed in a black border. It flags life-threatening risks and often requires specific monitoring or restricted prescribing.

A property of drugs for which the effective dose is close to the toxic dose, so small changes in blood level cause harm or loss of benefit. These drugs require careful titration and often level monitoring.

An interaction that occurs when two drugs compete for, inhibit, or induce the same liver enzyme pathway. Inhibitors raise the other drug's level while inducers lower it, changing efficacy or toxicity.

The point during regular dosing when the amount of drug entering the body equals the amount being eliminated, so blood levels remain stable. It is usually reached after about four to five half-lives.

The use of multiple medications at the same time, commonly five or more, especially by older adults with several chronic conditions. It raises the risk of interactions and adverse events and calls for periodic review.

A published list of medications considered potentially inappropriate for adults aged 65 and older, with reasons and suggested alternatives. Clinicians use it to review and revise prescriptions for older patients.

The federal ranking of controlled substances into five categories based on accepted medical use and potential for abuse. Schedule II drugs carry the highest abuse risk and the strictest prescribing and refill limits.

Practices that promote the right antibiotic, dose, and duration while avoiding unnecessary or overly broad treatment. They limit resistance, adverse effects, and cost and preserve drug effectiveness for the future.

Interventions that stop disease from developing at all, such as immunizations, tobacco cessation counseling, and physical activity promotion, delivered to people who are currently well.

Screening and early detection that aim to find disease before symptoms appear, when treatment can still change the outcome. Examples include mammography, colorectal cancer screening, and blood pressure case-finding.

Efforts that reduce disability and complications in people who already have a diagnosed condition, such as cardiac rehabilitation, diabetes foot care, or self-management education.

A letter grade from A to D, or an I statement, assigned by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to a preventive service. It reflects strength of evidence and net benefit and influences coverage and counseling.

Systematically developed recommendations that help clinicians and patients decide on care for specific clinical circumstances. They should be appraised for currency, evidence quality, and applicability before being adopted into practice.

Indirect protection that occurs when enough of a population is immune to an infection that transmission slows, so unvaccinated or vulnerable people are less likely to be exposed.

Proactive education offered at well visits about what to expect next and how to promote safety, nutrition, and development. It addresses injury prevention, behavior, and stage-specific parenting concerns.

A skill or behavior that most children achieve within an expected age range, such as sitting without support or combining two words. Persistent absence should prompt screening and referral for early intervention.

A collaborative conversation style using open questions, affirmation, reflection, and summarization to strengthen a patient's own reasons for change. It supports behavior change without confrontation or unsolicited advice.

A technique in which the patient restates in their own words how to take a medicine or follow a plan. It confirms understanding and exposes gaps that need clarification before the visit ends.

The process of explaining a proposed test or treatment, including its risks, benefits, and alternatives, and confirming the patient's voluntary agreement. Consent must come from a capable patient or an authorized surrogate.

A federal law that sets national standards for protecting identifiable health information and defines when it may be shared. It also gives patients rights to access, amend, and obtain an accounting of disclosures.

A legal duty to notify authorities about specified conditions, such as suspected child or elder abuse or certain communicable diseases, even when the patient has not consented to the report.

The conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, including income, housing, food access, and education, that shape health outcomes and access to care.

The number of patients who must receive an intervention for one additional person to benefit over a defined period. It is the reciprocal of the absolute risk reduction and shows practical value.