NOT part of SAMPLE S/sx?

• A. Breathing Difficulty
• B. Tachypnea and Tachycardia
• C. Fever/Headache
• D. Blood Pressure

Answer: (D)

The main idea is that SAMPLE S/sx covers the patient’s signs and symptoms—the information you obtain from what the patient reports and what you observe. Breathing difficulty is a sign of respiratory distress, and tachypnea (fast breathing) and tachycardia (fast pulse) are observable signs of distress. Fever and headache are typical symptoms the patient reports or describes. Blood pressure, however, is a vital sign—the objective measurement of hemodynamic status taken with a monitor or cuff—and is recorded separately from the S/sx list. So blood pressure doesn’t belong in the S/sx portion.