A comprehensive clinical examination is the basis for selecting further diagnostic steps:
- General physical examination – including blood pressure, pulse, body temperature, body weight, body height; further:
- Inspection (viewing) due topossible:
- Auscultation (listening) of the heart [cardiac arrhythmias/palpitations]
- Auscultation of the lungs [rales (RGs)?
- Abdominal (stomach) examination [hepatomegaly? (liver enlargement)/congested liver); splenomegaly? (splenomegaly)/secondary to portal hypertension/pulmonary hypertension]
- Percussion (palpation) of the abdomen.
- Meteorism (flatulence): hypersonoric tapping sound.
- Attenuation of tapping sound due to enlarged liver or spleen, tumor, urinary retention?
- Hepatomegaly (liver enlargement) and/or splenomegaly (spleen enlargement): estimate liver and spleen size.
- Percussion (palpation) of the abdomen.
Square brackets [ ] indicate possible pathological (pathological) physical findings.