Journal of General Practice Nursing (GPN) | September 2020

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Physical assessment and clinical decision-making as part of respiratory assessment

Physical assessment and clinical decision-making as part of respiratory assessment
Respiratory

Author(s): Kirsty Armstrong

Pages: 31 - 37

Article topics: Assessment, Clinical decision-making, Differential diagnosis, Physical assessment, Respiratory assessment

This article is the second in a two-part series on respiratory assessment. The first article looked at the importance of taking a patient history as part of assessment. This article goes on to address the various stages and techniques involved in physical assessment. It will give an overview of the process, looking at inspection, palpation, percussion and auscultation, and provides insight to technique. Integrating the physical assessment outcome with information gained from history-taking is also discussed. Using all of the gathered information and vital signs enables clinicians to process and decide on the patient’s problems. While this two-part series provides an overview of the assessment process, further in-depth training is essential for safe and effective patient outcomes.

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