Which of the following best describes a focused physical exam?

• A. One system above and below the chief complaint
• B. The entire body
• C. Only the area of pain
• D. A complete lab workup

Answer: (A)

A focused physical exam is a targeted, problem‑oriented assessment guided by the chief complaint. You concentrate on the system involved and related adjacent areas to catch signs that could help confirm or rule out the likely diagnosis, without surveying the entire body.

The description that best matches this approach is examining one system related to the chief complaint and extending the assessment to a region above and below it. This allows you to identify related findings (for example, signs that might point to a systemic process or referred symptoms) while keeping the exam efficient and focused on what matters for the presenting problem.

The other options describe broader or non-physical aspects: evaluating the entire body would be a complete (head-to-toe) exam, which isn’t the focused approach; inspecting only the exact area of pain can miss important nearby or referred signs; and a complete lab workup is not part of the physical examination itself.