One from the main skills you need for carrying out a basic physical assessment is the ability to make careful observations. You may think that doing so without medical training must be an impossible task, particularly where serious illnesses are concerned.
Well, in the same way that you can tell that your toaster isn't in brilliant shape when it starts rising in flames or that engine trouble is likely if your car starts to splutter and smoke, you can spot certain signs of serious disease despite little medical knowledge. Bear in mind that you probably know your body quite well already and therefore can normally spot any part that suddenly looks or feels different.
If you suspect that you or another person may be seriously ill, begin by looking for clues. Here are some examples:
Airways and breathing: Not being able to breathe properly is often a sign that something more serious might be going on. Although shortness of breath or breathing much faster than usual can occur in anxiety and panic, it may also indicate a potentially serious chest or heart problem. Think about the possibility of choking or an inhaled object in other people if breathlessness comes on very quickly and without much warning.
Bleeding: Take any bleeding seriously, particularly if it's profuse and stop. Bleeding is commonly the result of major injuries but could also occur from the mouth or the back passage, or from the vagina in women. After an injury always check for any evidence of bleeding, but be mindful in the case of neck and head injuries.
Confusion: Being unsure of who and where you are, and why, or the year, season and month, could be a sign of impaired thinking processes and needs urgent medical attention.
Deformities: If your body looks deformed after an injury and the affected part of the body is painful, a fundamental fracture is probably.
Drowsiness: Becoming very drowsy and less responsive is a sign of a costly illness and may develop into unconsciousness and coma.
Eye opening: Not opening the eye in response to speech or pain might point to a serious underlying illness.
Looking pale or blue in the face: Anyone who's seriously unwell usually also looks unwell. If you are very pale or blue in the face you may be suffering from a potentially serious underlying condition. Being pale is normal after a simple faint, but your colour normally returns fairly quickly; remaining pale possibly indicates more serious problems.
Skin lesion: Skin lesions are common and in most cases not serious. However, ruling out the possibility of cancer of the skin is important, particularly in lesions that get bigger, bleed, are very dark or don't heal.
Speech: Being not able to talk and/or get words out properly can be a sign of serious illness.
Swelling, redness and tenderness: These signs can indicate tissue inflammation because of, for example, a skin infection or an abscess, or an inflammatory condition like arthritis. An abscess usually causes a red and hot swelling within or under your skin, and tends to be painful and tender to the touch. Most abscesses need a little incision to empty the pus and/or a course of antibiotics, and thus seeking medical advice is best - particularly if you feel unwell. Severe infections or abscesses may also cause a fever.
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