Clinical Skills and Examination

This practical, thorough, and concise pocketbook is the perfect companion to the clinical skills needed for life on the wards. It covers all the essential elements that lie at the heart of medical practice in which students must prove their competence, and lays the foundations needed for the rest of their medical career.

Part One covers history taking, examination and communication; and Part Two provides an overview of key practical procedures and diagnostic skills, all of which are typically examined via Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) or other clinical case format examinations. The coverage of examination skills alongside practical procedures and explanations of typical tests and investigations make this pocketbook invaluable for students new to clinical medicine.

The authors are specialists in teaching clinical skills from both a medical and surgical perspective, and are perfectly placed to cover these cornerstones of medical practice.

Section I: History and examination

Chapter 1 History taking 3

Chapter 2 General examination 25

Chapter 3 Examination of the cardiovascular system 59

Chapter 4 Examination of the chest 87

Chapter 5 Examination of the abdomen 97

Chapter 6 Examination of the mental state 112

Chapter 7 Examination of the nervous system 122

Chapter 8 Assessment of disability including care of the elderly 166

Chapter 9 Basic examination, notes and diagnostic principles 173

Chapter 10 Presenting cases and communication 185

Section II: Clinical investigation and practical skills

Chapter 11 Clinical and radiological investigations 201

Chapter 12 Endoscopy 230

Chapter 13 Cardiological investigations 236

Chapter 14 Practical skills 279

Chapter 15 Common emergency treatments 326

Appendices

Appendix 1 Jaeger reading chart 338

Appendix 2 Visual acuity 3 m chart 338

Appendix 3 Cardiac arrest instructions 340

Appendix 4 Duties of a doctor 341

Appendix 5 Laboratory results—normal values 342

Appendix 6 Examples of OSCE assessment stations 349

Appendix 7 Rockall Score 350

Index 351

Published Reviews

"Lecture Notes on Clinical Skills fits into both white coat and book budget, something the first year clinical student should bear in mind."

GKT Gazette

"It is a little smasher."

Surgo, Glasgow University Medical School

"An excellent reference for students and junior doctors on hospital clinical placements."

Scottish Medical Journal

"A very practical, 'white coat' text."

Pediatric Endocrinology Reviews

The late Professor Robert Turner was Professor of Medicine at the University of Oxford.

Dr Brian Angus is a Clinical Tutor in Medicine and Honorary Consultant Physician at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, and is the Editorial Advisor on Rapid Infectious Diseases.

Mr Ashok Handa is a Clinical Tutor in Surgery and Honorary Consultant Surgeon at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.

Dr Chris Hatton is a Consultant Haematologist at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford and is co-author of Lecture Notes on Haematology.