VCP 411: Medicine Section

PALPATION

• Palpation is to gain information through the sense of touch so as to assess the consistency, temperature and sensitiveness.

Aims

• To understanding the consistency.
• To assess the size.
• To know the temperature.
• To measure the sensitiveness.
• Pulse can be felt.

Different methods of palpation

• By using the tip of the fingers over the area.
• By using the palm for palpating the rumen.
• Using the entire firs for palpation.

Classified into

• Direct palpation
• Indirect palpation
  • Rectal examination and
  • Human fingers, palm, fist, probes etc. used for palpation.

Consistency of organs palpated

• Resilient: when a structure quickly resumes its normal shape after application of the pressure ceases. E.g., mammary gland, rumen.
• Doughy: Pressure causes pitting which persists for a variable time. Eg. edema, rumen impaction.
• Firm/tenderness: When resistance to pressure is similar to that of normal.
• Hard: When the structure possess bone like consistency.
• Fluctuating: When an undulating or wave like movements is produced in a structure by application of alternate pressure. Eg., ascites.
  • True fluctuation – cyst or ripened abscess.
  • Pseudo fluctuation – tissue infiltered with fluid edema.
• Emphysematous: The structure is swollen and puffy and yields on pressure with the production of a crepitating sound or crackling sound because of presence of air or gas in the tissue. Eg., rinderpest, Blackquarter, Pneumothorax.