Which component focuses on systemic symptoms and constitutional signs?

• A. Review of Systems & Constitutional Signs
• B. Initial Inspection
• C. Chart Review
• D. History

Answer: (A)

Systemic symptoms and constitutional signs are gathered through the Review of Systems (ROS). The ROS is a structured interview that asks about symptoms across multiple organ systems and includes general constitutional signs like fever, weight loss, fatigue, and night sweats. This helps identify illness or red flags that could affect the safety and planning of physical therapy.

This focus is distinct from initial inspection, which is about observing appearance and movement patterns; chart review, which looks at prior medical records; and history, which captures the patient’s narrative of past events and current symptoms. The ROS specifically targets systemic, generalized symptoms rather than just what’s visible, historical, or previously documented.