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 sclerae (white part of the eye).
- Palpation (palpation) of the thyroid gland [due todifferential diagnoses: hypothyroidism (hypothyroidism), hyperthyroidism (hyperthyroidism].
- Auscultation (listening) of the heart [sinus tachycardia (heartbeat too fast (> 100 beats per minute))]
- Auscultation of the lungs [due todifferential diagnoses: bronchial asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)]
- Palpation (palpation) of the abdomen (abdomen) (tenderness?, knocking pain?, coughing pain?, defensive tension?, hernial orifices?, renal bearing knocking pain?) [gastrointestinal disorders]
- Inspection (viewing).
- Neurological examination – including checking sensorimotor function, reflexes and cranial nerve function [due todifferential diagnosis: myasthenia gravis].
- Health check
Square brackets [ ] indicate possible pathological (pathological) physical findings.
