Name:___________

Head-to-toe Checklist
Please find a person and do the full examination, do not skip any of the skills in this
checklist. You may not have to write the procedure for each skill, however, providing related
information to describe the findings is needed. Please truly perform the examination. I can
perceive whether the findings are from the real performance or not. A point of 0 to 5 will be
added to your global score of this health assessment course based on the quality of your
written.
Items Findings
A. General Appearance
1. Appears stated age
2. Level of consciousness
3. Skin color
4. Nutritional status
5. Posture and position comfortably
erect
6. Obvious physical deformities
7. Mobility:
(1) Gait
(2) Use of assistive devices
(3) Range of motion (ROM) of joints
(4) No involuntary movement
8. Facial expression
9. Mood and affect
10. Speech: articulation, pattern,
content appropriate, native
language
11. Hearing
12. Personal hygiene
B. Measurement
1. Weight
2. Height
3. Vision using Snellen eye chart
C. Skin
1. Examine both hands and inspect
the nails
2. For the rest of the examination,
examine skin with corresponding
 Name:___________

regional examination
D. Vital Signs
1. Radial pulse
2. Respiration rate
3. Blood pressure
4. Body temperature
E. Head, nose, neck, throat
1. Inspect and palpate scalp
thoroughly (any lesion, mass or
trauma?)
2. Observe face to check symmetry,
temporal wasting, temporalis and
masseter muscle atrophy
3. Inspect conjunctiva, eyelid, sclera
4. Evaluate extraocular muscle
function ( up, down, right, left) ,up
and out, down and in (cranial nerve
III, IV, VI)
5. Observe papillary responses to
light both directly and consensually
(cranial nerve II, Ⅲ)
6. Estimate visual field in each eye
separately in 4 quadrant(cranial
nerve II)
7. Using an ophthalmoscope, observe
the optic disc, physiological cup,
retinal vessels and fovea (cranial
nerve II)
8. Observe/palpate ears, preauricular
and postauricular nodes/region
9. Weber/Rinne test (cranial nerve
VIII)
10. Test for frontal and maxillary sinus
tenderness
11. Inspect lips, gums, teeth, floor of
mouth, tongue, pharynx/tonsils
12. Ask patient “stick out their tongue”
and move it side to side, check any
deviation(cranial nerve XII)
13. Observe elevation of the plate)
(cranial nerve IX, X)
14. Palpate salivary glands including
parotid and submandibular gland
15. Test neck range of motion to sides,
forward, backward
16. Palpate c-spine
 Name:___________

17. Palpate thyroid gland

18. Palpate lymph nodes including
occipital, anterior cervical,
posterior cervical, submental,
supraclavicular and infraclavicular
19. Check the position of trachea
20. Auscultate carotid arteries
F. Chest and heart
1. Inspect the chest: configuration of
the thoracic cage, skin
characteristics, and symmetry of
shoulders and muscles, respirations
and skin characteristics
2. Inspect each side of neck for a
jugular venous pulse
3. Estimate jugular venous pressure, if
indicated.
4. Palpate: symmetric expansion;
tactile fremitus; lumps, or
tenderness
5. 5. Palpate precordium for any
abnormal thrill
6. 6. Palpate the apical impulse and
note the location.
7. Percuss over all lung fields
8. Percuss diaphragmatic excursion
9. Percuss costovertebral angle, noting
tenderness
10. Auscultate breath sounds; note
adventitious sounds
(crackles ,wheeze or rhonchi)
11. Auscultate apical rate and rhythm.
12. Auscultate with the diaphragm of
the stethoscope to study heart
sounds, inching from apex up to the
base, or vice versa.
H. Abdomen
1. Inspect: contour, symmetry, skin
characteristics, umbilicus, and
 Name:___________

pulsations.
2. Auscultate bowel sounds.
3. Auscultate for vascular sounds over
the aorta and renal arteries.
4. Percuss all quadrants.
5. Percuss height of the liver span in
right midclavicular line.
6. Percuss the location of the spleen.
7. Palpate: light palpation in all
quadrants, then deep palpation in
all quadrants.
8. Test the abdominal reflexes, if
indicated.
9. Test for appendicitis (obturator,
psoas and Rovsing sign)
H. Musculoskeletal
1. Inspect/palpate both hands and
arms for deformities, lesions,
clubbing, skin color, nailbeds,
temperature, muscle tenderness,
joint tenderness.
2. Inspect/palpate both legs for
deformities, lesions, clubbing, skin
color, nailbeds, temperature,
muscle tenderness, joint
tenderness; separate toes and
inspect.
3. Observe posture and curvature.
4. Exam injury knee (cruciate
ligament, collateral ligament and
meniscus)
5. Test ROM and muscle strength of
hips, knees, ankles, and feet.
6. Test ROM and muscle strength of
shoulder, elbow and wrist.
7. Note muscle strength as person sits
up.
 Name:___________

I. Peripheral vessels
1. Palpate pulses: radial, brachial
arteries.
2. Palpate pulses: popliteal, posterior
tibial, dorsalis pedis.
3. Palpate for temperature and
pretibial edema or pitting edema.
4. Inspect legs for varicose veins.
J. Neurologic
1. Test orientation to person, time,
place, attention, recall (note the
questions you asked)
2. Deep tendon reflexes including
Biceps/brachioradialis reflex and
Triceps reflex
3. Patella reflex/Achilles reflex
4. Test Babinski sign
5. Test light touch/pin prick on both
side of trunk
6. Test light touch and pin prick on 4
limbs
7. Test position sense in at least both
ankles
8. Test vibration sense in at least both
ankles
9. Test muscle tone and strength in
flexion and extension (including
hands, wrists, elbows, shoulder,
hips, knees, and ankles)
10. Romberg test