Physical Assessment Course

Lesson 1 • Purpose and Scope of Assessment

Defines physical assessment within clinical practice and distinguishes it from diagnosis. Anchors the chapter by establishing why systematic examination matters.

Lesson 2 • Professional and Ethical Standards

Covers informed consent, patient rights, and confidentiality obligations. Connects ethical principles to every subsequent hands-on skill in the course.

Lesson 3 • The Clinical Environment and Safety

Prepares students to set up a safe, organised examination space. Proper environment management reduces error and improves patient comfort throughout assessment.

Lesson 1 • Chief Complaint and Present Illness

Guides students to elicit and characterise the patient's primary concern systematically. Accurate symptom characterisation directs the focused physical examination.

Lesson 2 • Review of Systems

Provides a systematic symptom survey across all body systems to uncover unreported concerns. Completes the history and sets priorities for the physical examination.

Lesson 3 • Past Medical and Surgical History

Covers collection of prior diagnoses, hospitalisations, surgeries, and immunisations. Historical data contextualises current findings and identifies risk factors.

Lesson 4 • Family, Social, and Functional History

Explores hereditary risk, lifestyle factors, and daily functional capacity. This broader context shapes interpretation of physical findings across all body systems.

Lesson 1 • Temperature, Pulse, and Respirations

Covers correct technique and normal ranges for temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate. Accurate measurement prevents misinterpretation of downstream clinical findings.

Lesson 2 • Blood Pressure Measurement

Teaches proper cuff selection, positioning, and auscultatory technique for blood pressure. Errors in technique are identified and corrected to ensure reliable readings.

Lesson 3 • Anthropometric Measurements

Covers height, weight, BMI, and waist circumference measurement and interpretation. Anthropometrics provide metabolic and growth context for all system-level findings.

Lesson 4 • Oxygen Saturation and Pain Assessment

Introduces pulse oximetry technique and validated pain rating scales. Both measures are essential adjuncts to vital sign interpretation in clinical practice.

Lesson 1 • Palpation Techniques

Teaches light and deep palpation for texture, temperature, tenderness, and organ borders. Correct hand positioning and pressure prevent patient discomfort and false findings.

Lesson 2 • Auscultation Techniques

Develops stethoscope skills for identifying normal and abnormal sounds across body systems. Proper technique and quiet environment are emphasised to maximise acoustic accuracy.

Lesson 3 • Percussion Techniques

Covers direct and indirect percussion to assess underlying tissue density and organ size. Students distinguish resonant, dull, and tympanic sounds through guided practises.

Lesson 4 • Inspection Principles and Practice

Develops systematic visual observation skills for colour, symmetry, contour, and movement. Inspection is always the first technique applied in every body system examination.

Lesson 1 • Neck Assessment

Covers lymph node palpation, thyroid examination, and tracheal position assessment. Neck findings connect head and sensory organ data to thoracic system evaluation.

Lesson 2 • Ear Assessment

Covers otoscopic technique, hearing screening, and external ear inspection. Ear findings often reflect systemic conditions and require precise instrument handling.

Lesson 3 • Eye Assessment

Teaches external eye inspection, visual acuity testing, and pupillary response evaluation. Systematic eye assessment detects both local and systemic disease indicators.

Lesson 4 • Head and Scalp Examination

Covers inspection and palpation of the skull, scalp, face, and facial symmetry. Findings here establish baseline cranial structure before advancing to sensory organs.

Lesson 1 • Peripheral Vascular Assessment

Covers pulse assessment, capillary refill, oedema grading, and venous insufficiency signs. Peripheral vascular findings complete the cardiovascular picture established in this chapter.

Lesson 2 • Cardiac Anatomy and Landmarks

Reviews cardiac surface anatomy and identifies auscultation landmarks on the chest wall. Landmark knowledge is prerequisite to accurate heart sound identification.

Lesson 3 • Thorax Inspection and Palpation

Assesses chest wall shape, symmetry, respiratory excursion, and tactile fremitus. Thoracic structure findings set the context for lung and cardiac auscultation.

Lesson 4 • Heart Sound Identification

Develops auscultatory skill for S1, S2, and common extra sounds and murmurs. Systematic listening at each landmark ensures no significant finding is missed.

Lesson 1 • Special Abdominal Tests

Introduces tests for appendicitis, peritoneal irritation, ascites, and hernia. Special tests confirm or rule out specific conditions suggested by routine examination.

Lesson 2 • Abdominal Inspection and Auscultation

Teaches visual assessment of contour, symmetry, and skin changes, followed by bowel sound auscultation. Auscultation precedes palpation to avoid altering bowel sounds.

Lesson 3 • Genitourinary Assessment Principles

Covers kidney palpation, costovertebral angle tenderness, and bladder assessment. Genitourinary findings are integrated with abdominal data for complete system evaluation.

Lesson 4 • Abdominal Percussion and Palpation

Covers percussion for tympany and dullness, liver span, and spleen size, then light and deep palpation. Correct sequencing prevents patient guarding and false tenderness.

Lesson 1 • Cranial Nerve Examination

Tests all twelve cranial nerves using targeted, efficient techniques in sequence. Cranial nerve deficits localise neurological lesions and guide further diagnostic workup.

Lesson 2 • Mental Status and Cognitive Assessment

Evaluates orientation, memory, attention, language, and executive function systematically. Mental status findings provide the cognitive baseline for all neurological interpretation.

Lesson 3 • Motor and Sensory Examination

Assesses muscle tone, strength grading, coordination, and sensory modalities across dermatomes. Motor and sensory mapping localises lesions to central or peripheral pathways.

Lesson 4 • Musculoskeletal Inspection and Joint Assessment

Examines posture, gait, range of motion, and joint integrity across major body regions. Musculoskeletal findings are integrated with neurological data for functional diagnosis.