Clinical Examination

Early chapters describe the techniques and procedures fundamental to successful examination and diagnosis; effective history taking; interviewing the patient; what to look for during a general examination; assessment of presenting symptoms. Subsequent chapters deal with the examination of specific body regions. Each is introduced by a description of the relevant anatomy and physiology, a knowledge of which is vital to a complete understanding of clinical findings and their effective interpretation. As a necessary precursor to a discussion of specific examination techniques, there follows a description of the principal signs, symptoms and abnormalities which may be encountered upon examination. It should be noted that pathogenesis, treatment and specialized investigations are deliberately omitted from this book. Finally, the examination techniques are described at length and in practical terms, thereby intending to help the reader to integrate the entire chapter into a usable whole.