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) [jaundice (jaundice); exanthema (rash) – usually petechial (punctate skin bleeding), possibly also ecchymosis – small area skin bleeding, etc.].
- 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 (listening) of the lungs
- Palpation (palpation) of the abdomen (abdomen) (pressure pain?, knock pain?, cough pain?, defensive tension?, hernial orifices?, kidney bearing knock pain?)
- Inspection (viewing).
- Neurological examination [e. E.g. due tosuspicion of: Meningismus and photophobia, cerebral hemorrhage, encephalitis]
Square brackets [ ] indicate possible pathological (pathological) physical findings.
