Some consist of a simple physical examination, also called clinical examination: it requires only simple instruments in the hands of a doctor, and may be made in his cabinet. Some exams require tests on samples of tissue or body fluids which will be sent to a medical laboratory for analysisA few simple chemical assays (such as measurement of the pH of the urine) can be measured directly in the doctor's office. Sometimes the possibility of a false-negative or false-positive must be confirmed by culture from samples. Some examinations can also be performed on a dead person in the context of a post-mortem In general, the first requires a break-in of the skin more important than a simple venipuncture, can be unpleasant, sometimes requires a local or general anesthesia, may require hospitalization and has a number of side effects, or risk of accident.
The distinction between these two types of examination is not so decided in a number of cases.
The compilation of all data of the medical examination is the medical record may be handwritten or computerized.
The clinical examination includes typically four phases: inspection, palpation, percussion and auscultation.
