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; furthermore:
- Inspection (viewing).
- Skin, mucous membranes and throat
- Auscultation (listening) of the heart.
- Examination of the lungs
- Auscultation (listening) of the lungs [bds. midbreath rales (RG’s)/wet RG’s].
- Bronchophony (checking the transmission of high-frequency sounds; the patient is asked to pronounce the word “66” several times in a pointed voice while the doctor listens to the lungs) [increased sound conduction due to pulmonary infiltration/compaction of the lung tissue (e.g. e.g. in pneumonia) the consequence is, the number “66” is better understood on the diseased side than on the healthy side; in case of decreased sound conduction (attenuated or absent): e.g. in pleural effusion, emphysema). The result is, the number “66” is barely audible to absent over the diseased part of the lung, because the high-frequency sounds are strongly attenuated]
- Percussion (tapping) of the lungs [e.g., hypersonoric tapping sound in bronchial asthma, emphysema]
- Vocal fremitus (checking the conduction of low frequencies; the patient is asked to pronounce the word “99” several times in a low voice while the physician places his hands on the patient’s chest or back) [increased sound conduction due to pulmonary infiltration/compaction of lung tissue (e. e.g. in pneumonia) the consequence is, the number “99” is better understood on the diseased side than on the healthy side; in case of reduced sound conduction (attenuated: e.g. pleural rind; strongly attenuated or absent: in case of pleural effusion, pulmonary emphysema). The result is, the number “99” is barely audible to absent over the diseased part of the lung, because the low-frequency sounds are strongly attenuated]
- Inspection (viewing).
- Cancer prevention
- Health check
Square brackets [ ] indicate possible pathological (pathological) physical findings.
