Chapter 31-Health Assessment and Physical Examination

Inspection

Watching for nonverbal expressions of emotional and mental status.

Olfaction

...

Palpation

Involves using the sense of touch to gather information.

Percussion

Involves tapping the skin with the fingertips to vibrate underlying tissues and organs.

Auscultation

Involves listening to sounds the body makes to detect variations from normal.

Integumentary System

Refers to the skin, hair, scalp, and nails.

Pigmentation

...

Cyanosis

Bluish discoloration

Jaundice

Yellow-orange discoloration

Erythema

Red discoloration

Indurated

Hardened

Turgor

The elasticity of the skin.

Petechiae

Nonblanching, pinpoint-size, red or purple spots on the skin caused by small hemorrhages in the skin layers.

Edema

...

Alopecia

Hair loss or thinning of the hair.