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).
- Oral cavity
- Pharynx (throat)
- Abdomen (abdomen)
- Shape of the abdomen?
- Skin color? Skin texture?
- Efflorescences (skin changes)?
- Pulsations? Bowel movements?
- Visible vessels?
- Scars? Hernias (fractures)?
- Auscultation (listening) of the heart.
- Examination of the lungs
- Auscultation (listening) of the lungs
- Examination of the abdomen (abdomen)
- Auscultation of the abdomen
- Percussion (tapping) of the abdomen
- [Ascites (abdominal fluid): phenomenon of fluctuation wave. This can be triggered as follows: if one taps against one flank a wave of fluid is transmitted to the other flank, which can be felt by placing the hand on it (undulation phenomenon); flank attenuation.
- Meteorism (flatulence): hypersonoric tapping sound.
- Attenuation of the tapping sound due to enlarged liver or spleen, tumor, urinary retention?
- Hepatomegaly (liver enlargement) and/or splenomegaly (spleen enlargement): estimate liver and spleen size.
- Cholelithiasis (gallstones): tapping pain over gallbladder region and right lower rib]
- Palpation (palpation) of the abdomen (abdomen) [tenderness?, tapping pain?, coughing pain?, guarding?, hernial orifices?]
- Inspection (viewing).
- Neurological examination [if suspected of: Encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), Meningitis (meningitis), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Tabes dorsalis (Neurolues): late stage of syphilis in which there is demyelination of the spinal cord].
- Health check
Square brackets [ ] indicate possible pathological (pathological) physical findings.
