Performing a manual assessment involves several steps:
1. Preparation: Ensure you have clean hands and appropriate equipment. Explain the procedure to the patient to gain their cooperation. 2. Inspection: Visually examine the patient for any abnormalities. 3. Palpation: Use your hands to feel the body parts, observing for tenderness, swelling, or abnormal masses. 4. Auscultation: Employ a stethoscope to listen to heartbeats, lung sounds, and bowel movements. 5. Percussion: Tap on the patient's body to listen for sounds that suggest abnormalities.
