Positioning the client

Conduct a health history interview that represents a comprehensive account of the client’s physical and psychosocial health status in relation to the neurological system.

Health History:
o Important component of assessment
o Guides the physical assessment
o Subjective data is gathered
o Follow-up questions identify:
- Source of problems
- Duration of difficulties
- Measures to alleviate problems
- Clues to client’s knowledge of health
o Client’s ability to participate in interview and physical assessment
o Neurological questions focus on:
- Concerns or injuries
- Past health history
- Behaviour
- Environmental concerns
- Age
- Headache
- Head injury
- Seizures
- Numbness or tingling
- Dizziness or vertigo
- Change in senses
- Difficulty swallowing
- Difficulty speaking

o Chronic disease such as diabetes or hypertension
o Family history of neurological illness:
- Stroke
- Paresis
- Epilepsy
- Multiple sclerosis
- Infections
- Recreational drugs or alcohol
- Problems with memory
- Internal:
o Daily diet
o medications
- External:
o Exposure to environmental hazards
o Infants & children:
- Pregnancy
- Previous seizure
- Clumsiness
- Home surfaces
- School

o Pregnant female:
- History of seizures
- Vitamins or nutritional supplements
o Older adult:
- More time to perform activities
- Trouble starting to walk
- Tremors
- Features added to home
o Equipment:
- Examination gown & drape
- Clean, non-sterile exam gloves