Knowra Clinical examination Clinical examination Clinical examination is the assessment of a patient through observation, palpation, percussion, and auscultation. It uses physical findings to identify signs of disease and guide further evaluation.
Inspection (medicine) : The systematic visual assessment of a patient’s body, appearance, movement, and behavior. It is the visual component of examination, often performed before touching the patient.
Physical sign : An objectively observable or measurable finding that may indicate a disease or physiological state. Examination produces signs that can be documented and checked by other clinicians.
Medical diagnosis : The process of identifying a disease or condition from clinical information. Physical findings help narrow the possible causes of a patient’s problem.
Medical history : A structured account of a patient’s symptoms, past health, medicines, and relevant personal and family circumstances. History elicits reported information, whereas examination assesses physical findings.
Palpation : Examination by touch to assess features such as tenderness, temperature, texture, and the size or position of structures. Touch can detect findings that visual inspection cannot, including tenderness and organ enlargement.
Symptom : A subjective experience of illness reported by a patient, such as pain or nausea. Symptoms are reported experiences; examination seeks observable findings.
Neurological examination : A structured assessment of nervous-system function, including mental status, cranial nerves, strength, sensation, reflexes, and coordination. It applies examination techniques to localize dysfunction within the nervous system.
Medical imaging : Techniques that create visual representations of internal body structures for diagnosis or monitoring. Imaging can reveal internal anatomy beyond what bedside examination can directly assess.
Percussion (medicine) : A diagnostic technique in which tapping the body produces sounds that help assess underlying tissues and organs. Its sounds help distinguish structures containing air, fluid, or solid tissue.
Anatomy : The study of the structures of living organisms and how those structures relate to one another. Anatomical knowledge helps locate findings and identify the structures being examined.
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