Conditions for the examination
- Relaxed and comfortable atmosphere
- Pleasant room temperature
- Well-lit room
- Noise-free room
- Physician should have warm and clean hands
- Patient should have fully exposed upper body (bra should be taken off!)
- Preferably only the head end of the examination table should be placed against the wall, so that the physician can examine from the right, front and left. If this is not possible, the examination table should be against the wall so that the physician can stand on the right-hand side of the patient.
- Initially the patient should stand up (inspection and palpation). They should then sit down on the examination table with the legs hanging down (percussion and auscultation of the back and lateral ribcage), and finally lie down in the supine position (percussion and auscultation of the front). With very ill patients an examination should take place with the patient lying down and assistance should be requested to bring the patient in an upright position when the patient’s back and lateral ribcage are examined.
