Palpation is the process of using one's hands to check the body, especially while perceiving/diagnosing a disease or illness. Usually performed by a health care practitioner, it is the process of feeling an object in or on the body to determine its size, shape, firmness, or location.

What does palpation mean?

Palpation is a method of feeling with the fingers or hands during a physical examination. The health care provider touches and feels your body to examine the size, consistency, texture, location, and tenderness of an organ or body part.

What does palpitating mean?

British Dictionary definitions for palpitate

palpitate. / (ˈpælpɪˌteɪt) / verb (intr) (of the heart) to beat with abnormal rapidity. to flutter or tremble.

What does the medical term palpable mean?

Palpable: Something that can be felt. For example, a palpable growth is one that can be detected by touch.

Why do we palpate?

Palpation is the process of using one's hand or fingers to identify a disease or injury of the body or the location of pain. It is used by medical practitioners to determine the size, shape, firmness, or location of an abnormality suggestive of disease.

Physical Assessment Technqiues

25 related questions found

What is palpation of the heart?

Palpation: Palpation includes assessing the arterial pulse, measuring blood pressure, palpating any thrills on the chest, and palpating for the point of maximal impulse. Arterial pulse: When palpating the arterial pulse, the examiner should be able to gather the rate, rhythm, and characteristics.

How do you palpate hands?

Move onto any MCP joints which are noticeably swollen. Palpate these, gently, bimanually with your thumbs on the dorsum and index fingers on the palm. Move onto the interphalangeal joints and again palpate any which are swollen. This palpation is done with one of the thumbs on the top and the other on one of the sides.

Can a feeling be palpable?

When something is palpable, you can touch or handle it, even though the word is often used to describe things that usually can't be handled or touched, such as emotions or sensations.

What is a palpable tumor?

(Palpable means something that can be touched or felt.) Doing a mammogram or ultrasound (or both) of the palpable mass is usually the next step your doctor will take to evaluate the mass. A biopsy may then be done to figure out if the mass is cancer. Most palpable masses are benign (not cancer).

What are examples of palpable?

Palpable meaning

The definition of palpable is something that can be touched, felt or is obvious. An example of palpable is tension so thick in a room you can feel it. Easily perceived by the senses; audible, recognizable, perceptible, noticeable, etc.

How do you know if you are palpitating?

Palpitations make you feel like your heart is beating too hard or too fast, skipping a beat, or fluttering. You may notice heart palpitations in your chest, throat, or neck. They can be bothersome or frightening. They usually aren't serious or harmful, though, and often go away on their own.

What is palpitations feel like?

Heart palpitations are heartbeats that suddenly become more noticeable. Your heart may feel like it's pounding, fluttering or beating irregularly, often for just a few seconds or minutes. You may also feel these sensations in your throat or neck.

Should you be able to feel heartbeat?

It is normal to hear or feel your heart “pounding” as it beats faster when you exercise. You may feel it when you do any physical activity. But if you have palpitations, you might feel like your heart is pounding while you are just sitting still or moving slowly.

What is palpation in pregnancy?

These diagrams show the position of the baby and demonstrate the technique of 'abdominal palpation', which means to examine by touching and feeling. The midwife or doctor uses this technique during your antenatal visit to examine your baby's development. Baby in vertex - or 'head' down position. 1.

How do you palpate someone?

Deep palpation of the abdomen is performed by placing the flat of the hand on the abdominal wall and applying firm, steady pressure. It may be helpful to use two-handed palpation (Figure 93.2), particularly in evaluating a mass. Here the upper hand is used to exert pressure, while the lower hand is used to feel.

What is palpation in physiotherapy?

Palpation is used by physicians, as well as chiropractors, nurses, massage therapists, physical therapists, osteopaths and occupational therapists, to assess the texture of a patient's tissue (such as swelling or muscle tone), to locate the spatial coordinates of particular anatomical landmarks (e.g., to assess range ...

What is a palpable lump in neck?

Palpable neck masses are often the only signs of patients visiting their ENT specialists. Lymphadenopathy may be a primary or secondary manifestation of numerous benign and malignant disorders. The medical history, physical examination, imaging and pathological examination may help to set the appropriate diagnosis.

How many breast cancers are palpable?

On the basis of their findings, the study authors concluded that despite the frequent use of screening mammography, 43% of breast cancers presented as a palpable mass or otherwise symptomatic presentation, whereas 57% were detected by mammography.

What is a palpable breast lump?

A palpable breast mass is defined as a dominant mass if it is 3-dimensional, distinct from surrounding tissues, and asymmetrical relative to the other breast. A dominant mass will persist throughout a menstrual cycle. Smooth, well-demarcated dominant masses that are mobile are often benign.

What is the difference between tangible and palpable?

Senior Member. "Palpable" (outside of medicine) has to do with physical sensation; "tangible" is used to refer to something that, at least metaphorically, has concrete form (rather than just being an abstraction).

What does the tension was palpable mean?

/ˈpæl·pə·bəl/ so obvious that it can easily be seen or known, or (of a feeling) so strong that it seems as if it can be touched or physically felt: The tension in the room was palpable during the exam.

What is palpable relief?

adjective. You describe something as palpable when it is obvious or intense and easily noticed.

How do nurses describe bowel sounds?

Describe bowel sounds as absent, normoactive, hypoactive, or hyperactive. Absent bowel sounds may indicate ileus or peritonitis. Hyperactive bowel sounds may occur with an early intestinal obstruction or gastrointestinal hypermotility.

What is the first thing you're going to do before palpating the patient?

In order to gauge the patient's comfort with the clinician's touch, you may start the examination with the hands. First, perform palpation of the nailbeds with your fingertips to assess for capillary refill and pallor. Then, palpate the radial pulse with your finger pads.