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; further:
- Inspection (viewing).
- Skin, mucous membranes and sclerae (white part of the eye).
- Palpation of the cervical spine [meningismus (painful neck stiffness)/increased resistance to movement of the head in the cervical spine].
- Auscultation (listening) of the heart
- Auscultation of the lungs
- Palpation of the abdomen (abdomen) (tenderness?, knocking pain?, coughing pain?, defensive tension?, hernial orifices?, kidney bearing knocking pain?)
- Inspection (viewing).
- Neurological examination – vigilance check, strength test, reflex test [due tosymptoms/meningoencephalitis (combined inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) and meninges (meningitis)):
- Impaired consciousness
- Seizures
- Reflex disorders
- Confusion
- Behavioral changes
- Tremor (shaking)
- Paresis (paralysis)
- Gait disorders
- Coma]
Square brackets [ ] indicate possible pathological (pathological) physical findings.