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PCS Spark - Physical Examination Guide for Desktop
PCS Spark - Physical Examination Guide for Desktop

A guide for the successful use of the tools in Physical Examination.

Bálint Székely avatar
Written by Bálint Székely
Updated over a year ago

You can start a physical examination by clicking on this button at the bottom left corner:

Click on the "Look At Tools" button or turn right to choose a tool:

Pick one of the tools by clicking on them and turn back to your patient to do palpitations, blood pressure measurements, and different examinations.

If you'd like to change tools simply turn back to the table manually or with the "Look At Tools" button, move the tool above the table and left-click with your mouse.

You can always turn back to your patient by clicking on the "Look at Patient" button:

Otoscope

Grab the Otoscope from the table and move it to the ears or the nose of your patient.

Stethoscope

Grab the Stethoscope from the table and listen to your patient's heart, lung, and bowel sounds. Simply put the head of the Stethoscope to the right area to start listening:

You can also do auscultations from behind the patient: simply pick the stethoscope tool and go behind the patient to listen to the lung sounds.

Remember, you can always go back to the front of your patient with the "Look At Patient" button and exit the Physical Examination by clicking again on the "Physical Exam" button at the bottom.

Palpitations

Grab the Gloves from the table and palpate the patient by simply hovering above certain areas and using the left-click on your mouse:

Ophthalmoscope

Grab the Ophthalmoscope from the table and move it over the patient's eyes, then click to get results.

Thermometer

Grab the Thermometer from the table and point it to the body of the patient. Left-click with the mouse while the device is on the patient of the body and after three seconds the device (and a pop-up log message) will indicate the result with a beep sound:

Magnifier

Grab the Magnifier from the table and move it to the patient's mouth or neck. You will feel if it is in the right area as the controller will vibrate, then press the Trigger to get the results:

Blood Pressure Measurements

By Korotkoff Sounds

Grab the Sphygmomanometer from the table and move it to the left arm of the patient around this area:

The Sphygmomanometer will detect if it has been moved to the correct location and it will be highlighted, then use the left-click to attach it to the arm.

Here's how to do a blood pressure measurement by Korotkoff sounds. Follow the steps one by one at a moderate pace:

  • Inflate the cuff by repeatedly clicking on the Sphygmomanometer to around 160mmHg (or the systolic value of your patient)

  • Move the cursor to the brachial artery and it will become a Stethoscope,

  • Slowly wait until the cuff deflates. You will start hearing the Korotkoff sounds just under the systolic value of your patient,

  • The Korotkoff sound stops when the cuff pressure goes under the diastolic value.

When the cuff is fully deflated, a log entry is created saying "Blood pressure measured successfully by Korotkoff sounds."

By Radial Pulse Palpation

Grab the Sphygmomanometer from the table and move it to the left arm of the patient around this area:

The Sphygmomanometer will detect if it has been moved to the correct location and it will be attached to the arm automatically.

Here's how to do a blood pressure measurement by radial pulse palpation. Follow the steps one by one at a moderate pace:

  • Inflate the cuff by repeatedly clicking on the Sphygmomanometer to around 160mmHg (or the systolic value of your patient),

  • Palpate the radial pulse on the arm with the cuff by hovering the cursor around the area and pressing/holding the left-click,

  • Let the cuff deflate slowly.

When the cuff is fully deflated, a log entry is created saying "Blood pressure measured successfully by radial pulse palpation".

Here is a video of the two blood pressure measurement methods during the simulation:

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