Clinical signs are what the doctor observes during examination — an abnormal heart sound, an enlarged liver, a skin rash with specific characteristics. This section explores the techniques and findings of the physical examination, the physician's most fundamental diagnostic tool.
3 articles
The medical history is the structured interview that opens the diagnostic process. A doctor explains how it works and why it guides most diagnoses before any test.
The physical examination is the doctor's hands-on search for objective signs. Learn the four techniques, the famous clinical signs, and what to expect during a visit.
Medical semiotics is the discipline of detecting and interpreting clinical signs — the objective clues a doctor reads on the body to move toward a diagnosis.
