Diabetic Nephropathy: 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, mucous membranes, and sclerae (white part of the eye) [peripheral edema (water retention in tissues)?; signs of anemia (anemia)?]
    • Peripheral pulse status (palpation of the foot pulses of the tibial artery and dorsalis pedis artery, bilaterally).
    • Tuning fork test for the diagnosis and progression of diseases associated with reduced vibration sensation (pallhypesthesia) and reduced depth sensitivity (eg, diabetic polyneuropathy).
    • Auscultation (listening) of the heart [signs of heart failure (cardiac insufficiency)?]
    • Palpation (palpation) of the abdomen (abdomen), examination of the renal bearings, etc.
  • Ophthalmological examination – to exclude diabetic retinopathy as a further complication of diabetes mellitus.
  • Neurological examination – to exclude diabetic polyneuropathy as a further complication of diabetes mellitus.
  • Health check

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