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) [occlusive jaundice* ?/ jaundice due to biliary obstruction resulting from a drainage obstruction].
- Abdomen (abdomen)
- Shape of the abdomen?
- Skin color? Skin texture?
- Efflorescences (skin changes)?
- Pulsations? Bowel movements?
- Visible vessels?
- Scars? Hernias (fractures)?
- Abdominal (stomach) examination [painless enlarged bulging elastic gallbladder* ?]
- Percussion (tapping) of the abdomen.
- Meteorism (flatulence): hypersonoric tapping sound.
- Attenuation of tapping sound due to enlarged liver or spleen, tumor, urinary retention?
- Hepatomegaly (liver enlargement) and/or splenomegaly (spleen enlargement): estimate liver and spleen size.
- Percussion (tapping) of the abdomen.
- Inspection (viewing).
- Cancer prevention
- Health check (as an additional follow-up measure).
* Courvoisier sign
Square brackets [ ] indicate possible pathological (pathological) physical findings.