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).
- Gait (fluid, limping).
- Body posture (upright, bent over, gentle posture).
- 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.
- Auscultation of the lungs
- Examination of the abdomen
- Auscultation of the abdomen [vascular or stenotic sounds?, bowel sounds?]
- Percussion (tapping) of the abdomen.
- Meteorism (flatulence): hypersonoric tapping sound.
- Attenuation of tapping sound due to enlarged liver or spleen, tumor, urinary retention?
- Palpation of the abdomen (tenderness?, tapping pain?, coughing pain?, guarding tension?, hernial orifices?, renal bearing tapping pain?).
- Inspection (viewing):