Setting and Equipment
The room should be warm, preferably lit with diffuse bright daylight. An astutely observant eye, a sensitive touch, a small flexible, metric ruler, a hand-held magnifying lens, a small flashlight and perhaps a Wood's light should be available.
It is best to have the patient change into a gown, leaving only his/her underwear on. A paper drape sheet will help the patient feel covered as different areas of the body are examined and redraped. The best light in which to examine skin is daylight. Artificial light, including fluorescent, changes the appearance of skin and lesions.
Dermatology Nursing. 2002;14(6) © 2002 Jannetti Publications, Inc.
Cite this: Necessary Elements of a Dermatologic History and Physical Evaluation - Medscape - Dec 01, 2002.
