Final answer:
The subjective portion of a patient examination relies on the patient's account of symptoms that cannot be objectively measured, such as nausea, pain, and sensory disturbances. These descriptions are critical for diagnosis and guide further testing and treatment.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the subjective portion of a patient examination, the patient describes symptoms and represents different systems based on their personal experiences and sensations that cannot be measured objectively. Symptoms such as nausea, loss of appetite, and pain are reported to the clinician and may be subject to memory bias. While clinical tests can examine muscular strength, nerve function, and reflexes objectively, subjective symptoms offer vital clues that inform potential diagnoses. For example, a patient feeling pins and needles in a limb could indicate an issue with the sensory systems between the spinal cord and the brain, possibly leading to further investigation and interventions such as a CT scan or aspirin therapy.
Clinicians sometimes attempt to quantify these subjective experiences, such as using the Wong-Baker Faces pain-rating scale, where patients rate their pain on a scale of 0-10. In cases involving organ systems, the patient might report how different systems, such as the nervous system with its peripheral and central divisions, including the autonomic and somatic systems, are impacting their daily life or functioning.
Ultimately, patient representations of symptoms in the subjective portion are crucial for guiding further medical investigation and management.