A comprehensive clinical examination is the basis for selecting further diagnostic steps:
- General physical examination – including blood pressure, pulse, body weight, height; furthermore:
- Inspection (viewing).
- Skin and mucous membranes
- Abdomen (abdomen) [inspection while lying down and standing].
- Shape of abdomen? [non-sided abdominal shape?]
- Skin color? Skin texture? Redness in the area of the hub?
- Efflorescences (skin lesions)?
- Pulsations? Bowel movements?
- Visible vessels?
- Visible swelling/protrusion/nodes in the area of the surgical scar?
- Auscultation (listening) of the heart.
- Auscultation of the lungs [due topossible cause: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)].
- Examination of the abdomen (abdomen)
- Percussion (tapping) of the abdomen
- Meteorism (flatulence): hypersonoric tapping sound.
- Palpation (palpation) of the abdomen (abdomen) (tenderness?, tapping pain?, coughing pain?, defensive tension?, hernial orifices? if yes: manual reduction (restoration of normal position) possible?, renal bearing tapping pain?)
- Percussion (tapping) of the abdomen
- Inspection (viewing).
Square brackets [ ] indicate possible pathological (pathological) physical findings.