Today our topic of discussion is Physical Examination of Child Health .
Physical Examination of Child Health
PHYSICAL EXAMINATION
Physical examination is a skill used by nurses to examine and monitor sick children, undertake diagnostic investigation and provide therapeutic interventions.
Purpose of Physical Examination
- To differentiate normal from abnormal physical findings
- It helps to give important information about growth and development
- Physical assessment skills are used to assist in making clinical judgments about a client’s health status and evaluating the effectiveness of nursing and medical interventions.
Techniques of Physical Examination
There are four primary techniques used in physical assessment.
- Inspection: It is the systematic, deliberate visual examination of the entire client or a region. Inspection yields information about size, shape, color, texture, symmetry position and deformities (Fig. 34.10).
- Palpation: Examination done by the use of touch. Palpation yields information about masses, pulsation organ size, tenderness or pain, swelling, tissue firmness and elasticity, vibration, crepitation, temperature, variation in texture and moisture.
- Percussion: Is a technique in which sound is produced by striking the child’s skin in order to assess the underlying area. Percussion of body structures containing air, fluid and solids produces various sounds, depending on their densities.
4. Auscultation: It is listening to internal body sounds in order to assess normal sounds and detect abnormal sounds. There are four sound characteristics the nurse notes when auscultation-pitch, intensity, duration and quality.
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