Underlying diseases, or underlying medical conditions, are frequently not presented in the history taking. Therefore, we do some routine medical exams. However, you should correlate with the complaints.
Dyspnea/chest discomfort - structural heart diseases, lung diseases, cancer, kidney diseases
Dyspepsia - hepatobiliary diseases, DM, previous surgery/trauma
Jaundice - hepatobiliary diseases
Dizziness - same as dyspnea plus DM
Edema - structural heart diseases, cancer, kidney diseases, previous surgery/trauma
Confusion/proximal muscle weakness - neurological deficit/diseases, kidney diseases, any endocrine diseases, cancer
A stepwise approach is physical examination from head to toe, starting at vital signs, general examination, head, neck, chest, abdomen, back, perineum, lower extremities, and upper extremities; and then; further examinations by systems; neurologic examination.
You will have to focus on examination for chief complaints and relevant underlying conditions and revelant physiology/pathophysiology, or you will find only scattering findings which you cannot interpret, and forgetting some important or helpful examinations
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