A comprehensive clinical examination is the basis for selecting further diagnostic steps:
- General physical examination – including blood pressure, pulse, body weight, height; further:
- Inspection (viewing).
- Skin, mucous membranes, and eyes (conjunctiva/conjunctivae) [skin/mucous membrane pallor, aphthae on oral mucosa, oral rhagades, brittle nails, koilonychia (curvature of fingernails), dry skin, increased hematoma formation/bruise formation?]
- Abdomen (abdomen):
- Shape of the abdomen?
- Skin color? Skin texture?
- Efflorescences (skin changes)?
- Pulsations? Bowel movements?
- Visible vessels?
- Scars? Hernias (fractures)?
- Examination of the abdomen
- Percussion of the abdomen/examination of the abdomen by tapping the abdominal wall with the fingers [attenuation of the tapping sound due to enlarged liver and/or spleen].
- Palpation (palpation) of the abdomen, etc., with an attempt to palpate the liver and spleen (tenderness?, tapping pain?, coughing pain?, guarding pain?, hernial orifices?, kidney bearing tapping pain?) [hepatomegaly (liver enlargement)?, splenomegaly (spleen enlargement?]
- Digital rectal examination (DRU): examination of the rectum (rectum) and adjacent organs with the finger by palpation: examination of the rectum [blood in the stool (hematochezia)?; melena (tarry stool)?]
- Inspection (viewing).
- Gynecological examination [genital bleeding?]
- Cancer screening
- Health check
Square brackets [ ] indicate possible pathological (pathological) physical findings.
