The patient must tell you about these things.

• A. Observation
• B. Symptom
• C. Impression
• D. History

Answer: (B)

In patient assessment, the core idea is identifying subjective experiences that only the patient can report. These are symptoms—the sensations or feelings the patient describes, such as chest pain, dizziness, nausea, or shortness of breath. Because symptoms come from the patient’s own experience, you rely on their report to understand what’s happening.

In contrast, signs are objective findings you observe or measure yourself—things like a fever, elevated blood pressure, or abnormal lung sounds. The history is the broader narrative the patient provides about past illnesses, medications, allergies, and events leading up to the current condition, which may include multiple symptoms but is not limited to them.

So, the reason this option fits best is that it targets the patient-reported experiences—the symptoms that the patient must tell you about to guide assessment and treatment.