General Examination of the Patient (General Condition of the Patient, Consciousness, Position, Physique), Examination by Parts of the Body: Head, Face, Neck, Limbs, Skin Integuments

Abstract

Before treating the patient it is necessary to make a correct diagnosis of the disease and to determine its aetiology, i.e. the causes of the disease. The doctor must know well the pathogenesis of any disease, i.e. the way and mechanism of its development, as well as the symptoms by which it can be revealed.

On physical examination the doctor finds out the exact region in which the patient feels pain. On physical examination the doctor can differentiate between strange, rare and particular symptoms and common symptoms.

A number of different procedures is used to establish a diagnosis : history-taking , physical examination , which includes visual examination , palpation , percussion , auscultation , laboratory studies , consisting of urinalysis , blood , sputum and other analyses ; instrumental studies , for example , taking electrocardiograms or cystoscopy , X-ray examination and others.