Final answer:
The phrases 'It feels like an ice pick in my head' and 'I’m coughing up a lung' would be characterized as a chief complaint, which is a patient’s primary reason for seeking medical care, generally stated in their own words.
Step-by-step explanation:
Statements like “It feels like an ice pick in my head” and “I’m coughing up a lung” are descriptive ways of communicating health issues but in a clinical setting, they are categorized as a D. Chief complaint. The chief complaint is the primary reason a patient seeks medical attention and is typically stated in the patient's own words. It is an essential part of the medical history and helps guide further questioning, physical examination, and diagnostic testing. For instance, in cases where individuals report symptoms such as fever, congestion, shortness of breath, and cough, these are components of the chief complaint that will help healthcare providers in formulating possible diagnoses such as influenza, bronchitis, or pneumonia.