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 and mucous membranes [discrete tremor (shivering), hyperhidrosis (increased sweating)]
- Inspection and palpation (palpation) of the thyroid gland and cervical lymph nodes.
- Auscultation (listening) of the heart [left ventricular hypertrophy (enlargement of the left heart), arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation or sinus tachycardia (> 100 heartbeats/minute)]
- Inspection (viewing).
- Health check
Square brackets [ ] indicate possible pathological (pathological) physical findings.