The document describes the four main components of a physical examination: 1. Inspection involves visual examination of the body part. For the abdomen, it notes the shape, skin abnormalities, masses, and movement with respiration. 2. Palpation uses touch, mostly for the abdomen to check for masses, tenderness, or enlarged organs like the liver or kidneys. 3. Percussion taps the body to determine the size, consistency and borders of organs, and presence of fluid, by the sounds produced. 4. Auscultation listens to body sounds like lungs, heart, intestines using a stethoscope to evaluate frequency, intensity, duration, number and quality of sounds. It can also listen

1. Physical Examination
Components
‫العالي‬ ‫الصحة‬ ‫معهد‬
‫المادة‬ ‫مدرس‬
‫م‬
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‫جامعي‬
‫اختصاص‬
‫عبد‬ ‫نزار‬ ‫صـالح‬
‫الحمــداني‬ ‫الوهاب‬
‫البالغين‬ ‫تمـريض‬ ‫علــوم‬ ‫ماجـستير‬
Salah Nazar Abdulwahhab M.Sc. Nursing
www.slideshare.net
2023 - 2022

2. Inspection
1- Inspection
2- Palpation
3- Percussion
4- Auscultation

3. Inspection
Inspection: means to look at the person or body part.
It is the first step in a physical exam.
Inspection consists of visual examination of the abdomen with note
made of the shape of the abdomen, skin abnormalities, abdominal
masses, and the movement of the abdominal wall with respiration.
Abnormalities detected on inspection provide clues to intra-abdominal
pathology

4. Palpation
Palpation: 2nd step in physical
examination used mostly to exam the
abdomen for crepitus of the abdominal
wall, for any abdominal tenderness, or for
abdominal masses.
The liver and kidneys may be palpable in
normal individuals, but any other masses
are abnormal.

5. Percussion
Percussion: 3rd step in a physical exam is a method of tapping body parts with
fingers, hands, or small instruments as part of a physical examination.
It is done to determine:
* The size, consistency, and borders of body organs
** The presence or absence of fluid in body areas
Percussion of a body part produces a sound, like playing a drum. The sound is a sign
of the type of tissue within the body part or organ.
* Lungs sound hollow on percussion because they are filled with air.
** Bones, joints, and solid organs such as the liver sound solid.
*** The abdomen sounds like a hollow organ filled with air, fluid, or solids.

6. Auscultation
Auscultation: is the 4th step in a physical exam refer to listening to the sounds
of the body during a physical examination.
Usually done using a tool called a stethoscope.
Health care providers routinely listen to a person's lungs, heart, and intestines
to evaluate these things about the sounds:
Frequency
Intensity
Duration
Number
Quality
Providers also use auscultation to listen to the heart sounds of unborn infants.
This can be done with a stethoscope or with sound waves (called Doppler
ultrasound).
Auscultation can also be used to hear pulses in the arms and legs.

7. Thank You