2. MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS USE PALPATION TO DETERMINE
THE FOLLOWING ABOUT AN ORGAN OR BODY PART:
• TEXTURE ( ROUGH/SMOOTH)
• TEMPEARTUREN(WARM/COLD)
• MOISTURE (DRY/WET)
• MOBILITY (FIXED/MOVABLE/STILL/VIBRATING)
• CONSISTENCY (SOFT/HARD/FLUID FILLED)
• STRENGTH OF PULSES
(STRONG/WEAK/THREADY/BOUNDING)
• SIZE (SMALL/MEDIUM/LARGE)
• SHAPE (WELL DEFINED/IRREGULAR)
• DEGREE OF TENDERNESS
3. 1. TEXTURE (ROUGH/SMOOTH) -
EXAMPLES: SKIN TEXTURE, SURFACE OF ORGANS.
BODY PARTS: SKIN, MUSCLES, BONES, ORGANS.
2. TEMPERATURE (WARM/COLD) -
EXAMPLES: SKIN TEMPERATURE, TEMPERATURE OF EXTREMITIES.
BODY PARTS: SKIN, EXTREMITIES (E.G., HANDS, FEET), FOREHEAD.
3. MOISTURE (DRY/WET) -
EXAMPLES: SKIN MOISTURE, MOISTURE IN BODY CAVITIES.
BODY PARTS: SKIN, ORAL MUCOSA, AXILLA, GROIN.
4. MOBILITY (FIXED/MOVABLE/STILL/VIBRATING) -
EXAMPLES: MOVEMENT OF ORGANS, JOINT MOBILITY.
BODY PARTS: ORGANS (E.G., LIVER, KIDNEYS), JOINTS (E.G., SHOULDER, KNEE), LYMPH
NODES.
5. CONSISTENCY (SOFT/HARD/FLUID FILLED) -
EXAMPLES: CONSISTENCY OF ORGANS, PRESENCE OF FLUID.
BODY PARTS: ORGANS (E.G., LIVER, SPLEEN), JOINTS (E.G., EFFUSION), MUSCLES.
4. 6. STRENGTH OF PULSES (STRONG/WEAK/THREADY/BOUNDING) -
EXAMPLES: PULSE STRENGTH AT VARIOUS POINTS.
BODY PARTS: RADIAL ARTERY, CAROTID ARTERY, FEMORAL ARTERY, DORSALIS PEDIS
ARTERY.
7. SIZE (SMALL/MEDIUM/LARGE) -
EXAMPLES: SIZE OF LYMPH NODES, SIZE OF ORGANS.
BODY PARTS: LYMPH NODES (E.G., CERVICAL, AXILLARY), ORGANS (E.G., LIVER,
SPLEEN), TUMORS.
8. SHAPE (WELL DEFINED/IRREGULAR) -
EXAMPLES: SHAPE OF ORGANS, SHAPE OF MASSES.
BODY PARTS: ORGANS (E.G., LIVER, KIDNEYS), MASSES (E.G., TUMORS).
9. DEGREE OF TENDERNESS -
EXAMPLES: TENDERNESS UPON PALPATION.
BODY PARTS: VARIOUS AREAS OF THE BODY DEPENDING ON SPECIFIC SYMPTOMS OR
COMPLAINTS (E.G., ABDOMEN, CHEST, JOINTS).
5. WHAT PART OF THE HAND IS
USED IN PALPATION?
• FINGERPADS
• ULNAR OR PALMAR SURFACE
• DORSAL (BACK) SURFACE
6. TYPES OF PALPATION
• LIGHT PALPATION
• MODERATE PALPATION
• DEEP PALPATION
• BIMANUAL PALPATION
7. 1. FINGERPADS
- Used for assessing texture, size, and shape.
Technique: Lightly press the fingerpads against the skin and move in a
circular motion. This is useful for feeling surface characteristics.
2. PALMAR SURFACE (PALM)
- Used for assessing moisture, mobility, consistency, and tenderness.
Technique: Apply gentle pressure with the palm to feel for moisture,
mobility, and consistency. Assess tenderness by using the fingertips in
a gentle pressing motion.
3. DORSUM (BACK) OF THE
HAND
- Used for assessing temperature.
Technique: Place the back of your hand on the patient's skin to
compare and detect temperature variations.
8. LIGHT PALPATION
To perform light palpation, place your
dominant hand lightly on the surface of the
structure. There should be very little or no
depression (less than 1 cm). Feel the surface
structure using a circular motion. Use this
technique to feel for pulses, tenderness,
surface skin texture, temperature, and
moisture.
9. MODERATE PALPATION
Depress the skin surface 1 to 2 cm (0.5 to 0.75 inch) with your
dominant hand, and use a circular motion to feel for easily palpable
body organs and masses. Note the size, consistency, and mobility of
structures you palpate.
10. DEEP PALPATION
Place your dominant hand on
the skin surface and your
nondominant hand on top of your
dominant hand to apply pressure.
This should result in a surface
depression between 2.5 and 5 cm
(1 and 2 inches). This allows you
to feel very deep organs or
structures that are covered by
thick muscle.
11. BIMANUAL PALPATION
Use two hands, placing one on
each side of the body part (e.g.,
uterus, breasts, spleen) being
palpated. Use one hand to apply
pressure and the other hand to
feel the structure. Note the size,
shape, consistency, and mobility of
the structures you palpate.
12. • THORACIC PALPATION
• ABDOMINAL PALPATION
• UTERINE PALPATION
• BREAST PALPATION
• HERNIAL PALPATION
• HAND AND WRIST PALPATION
• DENTAL PALPATION
13. THORACIC PALPATION
Used to diagnose problems of the chest or spine. It involves the
touching of superficial and deep tissues to assess the position of
the vertebra, the presence of edema (swelling) or
lymphadenopathy (swollen lymph nodes), or any protrusion in the
ribs, sternum, or spinal column.
14. ABDOMINAL PALPATION
Deep palpation of the abdomen (stomach area) is performed by
placing the flat of the hand on the abdominal wall and applying firm,
steady pressure. Two-handed palpation when the upper hand is used
to exert pressure, while the lower hand is used to feel is often useful
in evaluating an abdominal mass. Palpation may even help diagnose
an abdominal aortic aneurysm.
15. ABDOMINAL PALPATION
The five steps in palpating the abdomen
include:
1) Wash and warm your hands.
2) Communicate with the patient and palpate
the most painful area last.
3) Palpate with light pressure then deep
pressure.
4) Palpate all four quadrants.
5) Use a one- or two-handed technique.
16. UTERINE PALPATION
Another two-handed palpation procedure is the bimanual pelvic
exam, also known as manual uterine palpation. It involves the
compression of the lower abdomen with one hand and the
palpation of tissues inside the vagina with the fingers of the other
hand.
17. BREAST PALPATION
Palpation of the breasts is performed with the flats of the hand
and fingers. The procedure is systematic and involves the clockwise
assessment of the breast and nipples to check for consistencies and
lumps. The nipples themselves would be palpated for elasticity and
gently squeezed to check for discharge.
18. HERNIAL PALPATION
Palpation is part of the process involved in the diagnosis and
characterization of an inguinal hernia (the type situated in the lower
abdomen or groin). The size of the hernia can be assessed by asking the
subject to cough as the flats of fingers are placed against the bulging
tissue. The back of the hand would be used to assess the temperature
of the skin in comparison to the surrounding tissue.
19. HAND AND WRIST PALPATION
Hand or wrist injuries are typically diagnosed with palpation.
The palpation might involve the gentle rotation of a joint as the
fingers detect subtle signs such as crepitus (cracking sounds and
sensations), diminished range of motion, or increased warmth and
swelling indicative of inflammation.
20. DENTAL PALPATION
Palpation can be used in dentistry to check for inflammatory
conditions like periodontitis, the causes of a bite discrepancy
(dental occlusion), or the development of a tooth abscess or oral
lesion.
Typically the tip of the finger is used to check for changes in:
• Texture
• Color
• Temperature
• Gum consistency
