Which term describes using hands to assess temperature, texture, or tenderness during physical examination?

• A. Inspection
• B. Palpation
• C. Auscultation
• D. Percussion

Answer: (B)

Palpation is the hands-on part of a physical exam used to feel the body and detect what isn’t visible. By using touch, you assess temperature, texture, and tenderness, as well as look for masses, swelling, or organ size. Temperature helps identify inflammation or infection, texture reveals changes in skin or tissue, and tenderness points to areas needing further investigation. This technique is distinct from inspection (visual examination), auscultation (listening with a stethoscope), and percussion (tapping to elicit sounds). In practice, you can use light palpation to feel surface features and deepen your touch to evaluate underlying structures, always starting gently and progressing as needed based on the clinical situation.