Key features

• •UNIQUE! Action Stats identify immediate actions for critical situations and explain what to do for a patient with a potentially life-threatening condition.UNIQUE! Disorder Close-Ups enable you to identify abnormalities and determine when further analysis or treatment is needed.
• •Normal Findings summarize characteristic findings and acceptable variations based on age, sex, and condition of the patient.
• •UNIQUE! Interpreting Abnormal Findings helps you analyze irregular findings and determine their causes.
• •A chapter on documentation highlights key information to record during the initial assessment, with guidelines for documenting findings for over 20 selected conditions.
• •Examination Tips save you time with practical advice on how to examine patients more efficiently.
• •Lifespan Considerations provide guidelines for assessing patients of all ages to help you individualize exams.
• •Cultural Considerations include valuable information on variations in findings and transcultural considerations for the increasingly multicultural population.
• •Anatomy Reviews with detailed anatomical illustrations refresh your knowledge of anatomy for more accurate physical examinations.
• •A chapter covering health history, equipment, examination techniques, and procedures provides a solid foundation for learning to conduct more effective exams.
• •UNIQUE! The easy-to-follow, step-by-step format covers all aspects of physical examination - inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation - promoting an efficient and logical approach to physical exams.
• •Interview questions and guidelines help you hone your interviewing skills to focus your physical assessments.
• •How-to tips on individualizing the physical exam for patients with handicaps, pain, and serious illnesses enable you to effectively and accurately assess patients with special situations.
• •UNIQUE! Expert Exam Checklists available in the book and on the companion Evolve website provide handy reminders for assessing each body region.
• •Thoroughly updated content reflects the latest research findings and evidence-based practice for techniques, normal and abnormal findings, and more.
• •More illustrations and photographs than ever before clearly show normal anatomy, as well as normal and abnormal assessment findings.
• •Dual-function table of contents, with body systems cross-referencing in addition to a body regions organization, helps you quickly find the information you need.
• •Spanish/English assessment terms enable you to accurately communicate with Spanish-speaking patients.