151 articles
Six-minute walk test
The six-minute walk test (6MWT) is a self-paced clinical exercise test measuring the distance walked in six minutes, widely used in COPD and pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Skin prick test
The skin prick test is a diagnostic procedure that detects IgE-mediated allergy by introducing small amounts of suspected allergens into the skin, with results in 15 to 20 minutes.
Skin scratch test
The skin scratch test, also called the allergy scratch test, is an allergy diagnostic procedure in which allergen drops are scratched into the skin to detect IgE-mediated sensitization.
Slit-lamp examination
Slit-lamp examination, or slit-lamp biomicroscopy, is an ophthalmic exam using a binocular microscope and adjustable blade of light to inspect the eye from lids to fundus.
Snellen chart
The Snellen chart, also known as the Snellen eye chart or Snellen test, measures visual acuity with rows of shrinking letters; Herman Snellen published it in 1862.
Somatosensory stimulation
Somatosensory stimulation applies electrical stimuli to the body's sensory pathways to assess nervous system function or treat chronic pain and spasticity, spanning techniques from TENS to spinal cord stimulation.
Speculum examination
A speculum examination is a physical exam in which a speculum holds open a body canal, most often the vagina, so a clinician can view the cervix and collect specimens.
Speech audiometry
Speech audiometry is a clinical hearing test measuring how well a listener detects and understands speech rather than pure tones, using the speech recognition threshold and word recognition score.
Sphygmomanometry
Sphygmomanometry is the indirect measurement of arterial blood pressure with an inflatable cuff, a pressure gauge, and a stethoscope or automated sensor, yielding systolic and diastolic values.
Spontaneous breathing trial
A spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) is a bedside critical care test, usually lasting 30 to 120 minutes, that assesses whether a mechanically ventilated patient is ready for extubation.
Stabilometry
Stabilometry is a clinical assessment method that quantifies postural sway in standing subjects with a force platform, used in evaluating vestibular deficit and fall risk.
Star excursion balance test
The star excursion balance test (SEBT) is a clinical test of dynamic postural control: balancing on one leg while reaching maximally with the other along taped floor lines.
Static posturography
Static posturography, also called stabilometry, is a noninvasive test that measures body sway during quiet standing on a force platform, used to assess balance in vestibular and neurological disorders.
Structured Clinical Interview for DSM
The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM (SCID) is a semi-structured clinician interview that establishes psychiatric diagnoses using DSM criteria, long considered the research gold standard.
Subjective refraction
Subjective refraction is the assessment of refractive error by presenting lenses and using patient responses to find the best correction, the gold standard for spectacle prescription.
Surgical Clearance
Surgical clearance, also called medical clearance, is the process of evaluating whether a patient is healthy enough for surgery, usually a preoperative history and physical examination done to minimize perioperative risk.
Tear breakup time
Tear breakup time (TBUT) is a clinical eye test measuring the interval between a blink and the first dry spot on the cornea, a core measure in dry eye diagnosis.
Testicular self-examination
Testicular self-examination (TSE), also called testicular self-exam, is a monthly self-check of the testicles for lumps or changes. USPSTF recommends against routine screening; NHS advises monthly checks from puberty; no randomized trials show mortality benefit.
Thomas test
The Thomas test is a physical examination maneuver in which a thigh that fails to rest flat on the table while the opposite hip is flexed indicates a hip flexion contracture.
Timed Up and Go test
The Timed Up and Go (TUG) test times a person rising from a chair, walking 3 meters, turning, and sitting back down, screening for fall risk in older adults.
Tinetti test
The Tinetti test, also known as the Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA), is a clinical assessment scoring balance and gait to estimate fall risk in older adults.
Tonometry
Tonometry is the clinical measurement of intraocular pressure, the fluid pressure inside the eye, used to diagnose ocular hypertension and track the pressure reductions that stop glaucoma progression.
Transcutaneous oximetry
Transcutaneous oximetry (TcPO2) is a noninvasive test that measures oxygen partial pressure at the skin surface using a heated electrode, guiding wound care and limb ischemia assessment.
Transillumination
Transillumination is a bedside technique in which a bright light shone through a body area detects abnormal fluid or air collections and distinguishes cystic from solid masses.
Trichoscopy
Trichoscopy is dermoscopic imaging of the hair and scalp, a noninvasive, low-cost technique for diagnosing hair loss and scalp disease by magnifying hair shafts, follicular openings, and blood vessels.
Video head impulse test
The video head impulse test (vHIT) is a clinical vestibular test in which video goggles record eye movements during rapid head turns to measure the vestibulo-ocular reflex.
Visible peristalsis
Visible peristalsis is a physical examination sign in which waves of intestinal or gastric contraction are seen moving across the abdominal wall, almost invariably indicating obstruction, though it also occurs in very thin or malnourished people.
Vision Screening
Vision screening (eye test) is a short check of near and far vision, via eye charts or photoscreeners, to flag people needing full eye exams. USPSTF recommends it at ages 3-5 for amblyopia; WHO backs school-age screening every 1-2 years under SPECS 2030.
Visual inspection with acetic acid
Visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) is a point-of-care screening method for cervical precancer in which dilute acetic acid is swabbed on the cervix and read by eye.
Vital signs
Vital signs: body temperature, pulse, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and often oxygen saturation and pain, the core physiological measurements used in clinical assessment, early warning scores such as NEWS2, and detecting patient deterioration.