Assessment Techniques

Assessment Techniques

1.        Inspection: It means looking with eyes it reveals any rush scar, colour, size, shape, contour and symmetry of the body parts.

2.        Palpation: It means feeling using sense of touch. It reveals any swelling, coldness, hotness, stiffness, hardness, smoothness roughness, pain, vibration, firmness and flaccidity

3.        Percussion: It means striking or tapping with fingers. It elicits sounds which indicate whether the underlined tissue is solid or filled with fluid.

The sounds may vary

a)       Resonant: A loud sound over the normal lung tissue

b)       Tympanic: A drum like sound over the air filled tissues such as gastric air bubble

c)        Dull: A medium pitched sound with medium duration without resonance, heard over the solid tissues, such as heart, liver.

d)       Flat: A pitched sound with short duration without resonance, heard over the complete solid tissues, such as bones.

4.        Auscultation: It means listen with stethoscope (or) placing the ear against the body. It reveals sounds produced within the body and the blood vessels such as heart beat, bowel sounds

5.        Manipulation: It means moving with the body parts. It reveals rigidity, difficulty (or) discomfort in moving the body parts.

6.        Reflex testing: Means automatic response to a given stimulus. It reveals reflex is present, or not present, strength and movements of hands and legs.

7.        Olfaction: It means sense of smell (Odour). It reveals the nature of disease condition of the patient.