Head-to-toe assessment includes which of the following?

• A. Inspect and palpate head
• B. Inspect and palpate neck
• C. Inspect and palpate all major regions including head, neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis
• D. All of the above

Answer: (D)

A head-to-toe assessment is a thorough, systematic secondary survey used in trauma care to uncover injuries across the body and establish a baseline status. It involves inspecting and palpating all major regions—head, neck, chest, abdomen, and pelvis (and then extending to extremities and posterior surfaces as needed). This comprehensive approach helps identify life-threatening problems that might be missed if you focus on only one area. For example, evaluating the chest and abdomen in addition to the head and neck allows you to detect chest wall injuries affecting breathing or abdominal injuries presenting with tenderness or distension. Because of this, choosing the option that includes all major regions is the best answer—partial checks of just the head or just the neck don’t provide the full picture of a patient’s condition.