Bacteriuria: Examination

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 and mucous membranes
      • Abdomen (abdomen):
        • Shape of the abdomen?
        • Skin color? Skin texture?
        • Efflorescences (skin changes)?
        • Pulsations? Bowel movements?
        • Visible vessels?
        • Scars? Hernias (fractures)?
    • Auscultation (listening) of the heart.
    • Auscultation of the lungs
    • Palpation (palpation) of the abdomen (tenderness?, tapping pain?, coughing pain?, guarding?, hernial orifices?] [pain in the lower abdomen (suprapubic pain)?)
    • Palpation of the renal region [If fever and back or flank pain occur, pyelonephritis, i.e., involvement of the upper urinary tract, such as ureters and/or kidneys including renal pelvis, is very likely].
    • Digital rectal examination (DRU): examination of the rectum and adjacent organs with the finger by palpation: assessment of the prostate in size, shape and consistency[due topossible cause: benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH; benign prostatic enlargement)] [due todifferential diagnosis: chronic prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate).
  • Gynecological examination [due topossible cause: pregnancy; due todifferential diagnoses]inspection.
    • Vulva (external, primary female sex organs) [due todifferential diagnosis: vulvovaginitis (inflammation of the vulva and vagina (vagina)]
    • Vagina (vagina) [due todifferential diagnosis: vaginitis (vaginitis)]
  • Urological/nephrological examination – if vesicorenal reflux is suspected (synonyms: vesicoureteral reflux, vesico-uretero-renal reflux (VUR; unphysiological reflux of urine from the bladder via the ureters (ureters) into the renal pelvis).

Square brackets [ ] indicate possible pathologic (pathological) physical findings.