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 sclerae (white part of the eye).
- Auscultation (listening) of the heart [peripheral cyanosis (blue coloration of skin, lips, fingernails) if necessary].
- Auscultation of the lungs
- Palpation (palpation) of the abdomen (abdomen) (tenderness?, knocking pain?, coughing pain?, defensive tension?, hernial orifices?, kidney bearing knocking pain?)
- Inspection (viewing).
- Neurological examination – including checking the level of consciousness, reflexes and muscle tone.
Square brackets [ ] are used to indicate possible pathological (pathological) physical findings.
