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).
- Skin (normal: intact; abrasions/wounds, redness, hematomas (bruises), scars) and mucous membranes.
- Gait (fluid, limping).
- Body or joint posture (upright, bent, gentle posture).
- Joint (abrasions/wounds, swelling (tumor), redness (rubor), hyperthermia (calor); injury indications such as hematoma formation).
- Extremities (including measurement of lower leg circumference bilaterally).
- In arterial thrombosis: [partial/complete ischemia (reduced blood flow), localized peripheral cyanosis (blue coloration of the skin)]
- In venous thrombosis: [fever, inflammation, hyperthermia, swelling, light bluish discoloration, pain in the area of the affected veins]
- Inspection and palpation (palpation) of the calf and Achilles tendon [Achilles tendon rupture: dent palpable above the heel?]
- Assessment of pain on movement, range of motion, resilience, muscle strength (toe stand single legged).
- Auscultation (listening) of the heart.
- Inspection (viewing).
Square brackets [ ] indicate possible pathological (pathological) physical findings.
Note
- If deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is suspected, see “Thrombosis/Physical Examination.”