NECK AND CHEST
Cervical lymphadenopathy
Left supraclavicular fossa (Virchov’s node)
Gynaecomastia
Loss of hair
ABDOMINAL EXAMINATION
POSITIONING
Abdomen can be divided in four quadrants
Patient should be lying on supine position
POSITIONING
Patients handsremain
on his/hers side
Legs,straight
Headresting on pillow –
if neck is flexed, ABD
muscles will tense and
therefore harder to
palpate ABD
.
ABDOMINAL EXAMINATION
AUSCULTATION
Place the diaphragm of the stethoscope
to the right of the umbilicus
Bowel sounds (borborygmi) are caused
by peristaltic movements
Occur every 5-10 sec.
Absence of b.s.: paralytic ileus or
peritonitis
Bruits over aorta and renal a. could be
a sign of an aneurysm and stenosis
AUSCULTATION
Use stethoscope to listen to all
areas
Detection of Bowel sounds
(Peristalsis/Silent?? = Ileus)
If no bowel sounds heard –
continue to auscultate up to 3mins
in the different areas to determine
the absence of bowel sounds
Auscultate for BRUITS!!!-
Swishing (pathological) sounds
over the arteries (eg.
Abdominal Aorta)
...
ABDOMINAL EXAMINATION
PALPATION
1.Ensure that your hands are warm
2.Standon the patient’s right side
3.Helpto position the patient
4.Askwhether the patient feels any pain
before you start
5.Begin with superficialexamination
6.Movein a systematic manner through the
abdominal quadrants
7.Repeat palpation deeply.
ABDOMINAL EXAMINATION
PALPATION
Tenderness: discomfort and resistance to
palpation
Involuntary guarding:reflex contraction of the
abdominal muscles
Rebound tenderness: patient feels pain when
the hand is released
Tenderness + rigidity: perforated viscus
Palpable mass(enlarged organ, faeces, tumour)
Aortic pulsation
PALPATION
ALWAYS ASK IF PAIN IS PRESENT
BEFORE PALPATING!!!
Firstly:Superficial palpation
Secondly:Deep where no pain is
present. (deep organs)
Assessing Muscle Tone:
-Guarding= muscles contract when pressure is
applied
-Ridigity= inidicatesperitoneal inflamation
-Rebound= Releasing of pressure causing
pain
.......
Pain in RUQ
Inflammation of gallbladder
(cholecystitis)
Courvoisier's law
ABDOMINAL EXAMINATION
MURPHY’S SIGN
MURPHY'S SIGN
Indication:
-pain in U.R.Quadrant
Determines:
-cholecystitis (inflam. of gall
bladder)
-Courvoisier's law–palpable gall
bladder, yet painless
-cholangitis (inflam. Of bile ducts)
...
METHOD
Ask patient to breathe out.
Gently place your hand below the costal margin on the right side at the
mid-clavicular line (location of the gallbladder).
Instruct to breathe in.
Normally, during inspiration, the abdominal contents are pushed
downward as the diaphragm moves down.
If the patient stops breathing in (as the gallbladder comes in contact
with the examiner's fingers) the patient feels pain with a 'catch' in
breath.
Test is positive.
...
a.k.a. rebound tenderness
Pain upon removal of pressure rather than
application of pressure to the abdomen
Peritonitis and/ or appendicitis
ABDOMINAL EXAMINATION
BLUMBERG’S SIGN
BLUMBERG'S SIGN
Determines:
-peritonitis
-appendicitis
ALWAYS START OPP. SIDE TO
WHERE THE PAIN IS !!!!
ABD is compressed slowly and
then rapidly released.
Pain upon removal of pressure
rather than application of
pressure to the abdomen
Pain present = positive.
...
1/3 ASIS to umbilicus
Location of AV in retrocecal position
Deep tenderness (=acute appendicitis)
ABDOMINAL EXAMINATION
MCBURNEY’S POINT
McBurney's Point
From ASIS (anterior
superior iliac spine) to
the umbilicus.
Determines:
-location of appendix (varies)
-deep tenderness @ point = acute
appendicitis
NOTE:McBURNEY'SPUNCHSIGN=Tendernessispresentedwhen
gentlytappingtheareaofthebackoverlyingthekidneyproducingpainin
peoplewithaninfectionaroundthekidney(perinephricabscess)or
pyelonephritis.
Carnett'ssign
Abd. pain remains unchanged
or increases when the
muscles of the abdominal
wall are tensed.
Positive= Abd. wall is the
source of the pain (e.g. due to
rectus sheath hematoma).
Negative = pain decreases
when the patient is asked to lift
the head; this points to an intra-
abdominal cause of the pain
..
ABDOMINAL EXAMINATION
FLUID THRILL
Place the palmof your left
hand against the left side of the
abdomen
Flick a fingeragainst the right
side of the abdomen
Ask the patient to put the edge
of a hand on the midlineof
the abdomen
If a ripple is feltupon flicking
we call it a fluid thrill =ascites
Fluid wave test / Iceberg Sign
Test for ascites.
Have patient push their
hands down on the midline
of the abdomen.
Then you tap one flank,
while feeling on the other
flank for the tap.
> 1 litre of fluid allows the
tap to be felt on the other
side.
...
ABDOMINAL EXAMINATION
PALPATION OF THE SPLEEN
1.Roll the patient towards you
2.Palpate with your left hand while using your left hand to
press forward on the patient’s lower ribs from behind
3.Feel along the costal margin
Spleen
Only palpable if enlarged; splenomegaly
–indicated by Castell's sign(bulge of
U.LQuadrant).
Patient on
his/her
Right Side
& palpate
from
behind.
ABDOMINAL EXAMINATION
PALPATION OF THE LIVER
1.Start palpating in the right iliac fossa
2.Ask the patient to take a deep breath in
3.Move your hand progressively further up the abdomen
4.Try to feel the liver edge
Liver
PALPATE:
-from R.iliacfossa up towards and under
the last rib whilst the patient is breathing
in deeply.
ASSESSING:
Regulatrities
Smoothness
Tenderness
PERCUSSION:
-Outline of liver (norm: 8-12 cms)
-In Mid-Clavicular Linefrom 2
nd
rib
downwards
Hollow ---> Dull ----> Hollow
...