Signs

Objective or definitive evidence of an illness, perceived by the examiner.

Symptoms

change perceived by the patient, may or may not be confirmed by the examiner.

Diagnosis (Dx)

identification of a disease or condition by a scientific evaluation of physical signs, symptoms, history, tests, and procedures.

Prognosis

the predicted outcome of a disease

Acute disease

short and relatively severe course

Chronic disease

disease exists for a long time.

Inspection

The examiner uses eyes and ears to observe and listen to the patient.

Palpation

The examiner feels the texture, size, consistency, and location of certain body parts with hands, which sometimes reveals deep abnormalities.

Percussion

The examiner taps the body with fingertips or fists to evaluate the size, borders, and consistency of the internal organs and to determine the amount of fluid in a body cavity.

Auscultation

The examiner listens for sounds in the body to evaluate the heart, blood vessels, lungs, intestines, or other organs. Performed most with a stethoscope.