Question

Signs and symptoms that might be expected on the basis of a patient's chief complaint but that the patient denies having are examples as ________.

1) pertinent attributes.
2) pertinent positives.
3) pertinent circumstances.
4) pertinent negatives.

Answer 1

A pertinent negative refers to symptoms that are expected based on a patient's chief complaint but are denied by the patient, which is helpful in ruling out certain diagnoses.

Step-by-step explanation:

The terms you're looking for in describing symptoms that might be expected based on a patient's chief complaint but that the patient denies having are known as pertinent negatives. A pertinent negative is critical in the medical field as it can help differentiate between various diagnoses by ruling out certain conditions that would normally present with such symptoms. For example, if a patient reports chest pain but denies shortness of breath, that would be a pertinent negative when evaluating for cardiac conditions. In contrast, a pertinent positive includes the symptoms and signs a patient does have that are related to the possible diagnoses. Medical professionals often utilize these to narrow down the potential cause of a patient's ailment, alongside further testing and examination.