Abstract

Examination of the respiratory system

Author(s): Neel Burton, Nikil Rajani

Clinical examination is an important tool in helping to identify pathology and contributes to reassuring patients without disease. This paper lays out a thorough routine for examining the respiratory system that is appropriate both for day-to-day clinical practice and for sitting undergraduate Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs). Examination of the respiratory system follows the classic sequence of inspection, palpation, percussion and auscultation. We emphasize the steps involved in examining the respiratory system, rather than on specific signs. For these, please refer to other cited references [1, 2, 5-8].