NRSG2220 - physical exam / general survey

order of assessment

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

Inspection

before touching use your senses --> sight, hearing, smell

Palpation 3 Rules

1. have warm hands
2. use light palpation before deep palpation
3. touch the area that hurts last

Percussion 5 sounds

1. flatness - bone/muscle
2. dullness - heart, liver, spleen
3. resonance - air filled lungs (hollow)
4. hyperresonance - emphysematous lung (hyperinflated)
5. tympany - air filled stomach (drumlike)//gastric bubble

Auscultation 5 quality of sounds

1. pitch: high-low
2. loudness: soft-loud
3. duration: short,med,long
4. quality: description

general survey purpose

provides clues to overall health as soon as patient and nurse meet using observation skills. It usually includes vital signs, height, weight