Define an objective symptom.

• A. Something you CAN'T see or measure
• B. A diagnosis
• C. Something you feel emotionally
• D. Something you CAN see or measure

Answer: (D)

Objective symptoms are observable, measurable signs that anyone outside the patient can verify. They include findings like fever, a rash, swelling, a heart rate or blood pressure reading, or abnormal lab test results—things that don’t depend on what the patient reports. This contrasts with subjective symptoms, which are experiences the patient feels and describes, such as pain, nausea, or fatigue. A diagnosis is a conclusion about a condition, not a direct observable sign, and emotions are internal experiences rather than measurable signs. So the best description of an objective symptom is something you can see or measure.