Following are the psychiatric symptoms except-

Appeared in: RUHS, Jaipur, PB B.Sc Nursing Entrance-2023

Explanation

Oedema is the correct answer because it is a physical sign, not a psychiatric symptom.
It is characterized by the accumulation of excess fluid in body tissues, leading to swelling.
Unlike psychiatric symptoms, which relate to mental processes like perception, thought, and emotion, oedema is a manifestation of an underlying medical condition such as heart, liver, or kidney disease.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

Option A: Illusion is a psychiatric symptom. It is a disorder of perception where a real external stimulus is misinterpreted.
Option B: Delusion is a classic psychiatric symptom. It is a disorder of thought content, characterized by a false, unshakeable belief.
Option C: Anxiety is a common psychiatric symptom. It is an emotional disturbance involving feelings of worry, fear, and unease.

Related Visual

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Differentiation between psychiatric symptoms and physical signs as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses must be able to distinguish between psychiatric and physical symptoms to provide holistic care. A patient presenting with anxiety and shortness of breath could have a panic attack or a pulmonary embolism; thorough assessment is vital.
Some medical conditions or medications can cause psychiatric symptoms (e.g., delirium from an infection). Conversely, some psychiatric conditions have physical manifestations (e.g., somatic symptom disorder).
What if? A patient with known schizophrenia reports that their legs are swollen and 'filled with poison' by their enemies. The nurse must assess for oedema (a physical sign) while also acknowledging the patient's delusional belief (a psychiatric symptom). The physical finding must be addressed medically, regardless of the psychiatric context.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core concept of the question, which is 'psychiatric symptoms'.
Note the keyword 'except'. This means you are looking for the option that does NOT fit into the category of psychiatric symptoms.
Evaluate each option: 'Illusion' is a perceptual disturbance, 'Delusion' is a thought disturbance, and 'Anxiety' is an emotional disturbance. All are psychiatric symptoms.
Evaluate the final option: 'Oedema' is physical swelling from fluid. This is a medical/physical sign.
Conclude that Oedema is the outlier and therefore the correct answer.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Differentiation between psychiatric symptoms and physical signs.
Stem keywords: psychiatric symptoms
Lead-in keywords: except
Negative lead-in flag: EXCEPT

Question ID

QUg9nWhkGmC8xIWVmz6nNW

Reference Book

E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) pp. 13421-13423, 3815-3817

E6 Medicine Macleod Clinical Examination 15e p. 372-374

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