The key technique in a physical assessment that relies primarily on the health professional's sight and smell is **inspection**.
1. **Inspection**: This technique involves visually examining the patient's body for any abnormalities, such as rashes, swelling, discoloration, or lesions. In some cases, certain odors detected during inspection, like foul smells from wounds or infections, can also provide valuable information to the healthcare provider.
2. **Palpation**: This technique involves using touch to feel for abnormalities in the body, such as tenderness, lumps, or abnormal textures. It does not rely on sight or smell as much as it does on the sense of touch.
3. **Percussion**: Percussion involves tapping on the body's surface to assess underlying structures. It helps in evaluating the density of tissues or detecting the presence of fluid in body cavities. Percussion does not primarily rely on sight or smell.
4. **Auscultation**: This technique involves listening to sounds within the body, such as heart sounds, lung sounds, or bowel sounds, using a stethoscope. Auscultation relies on hearing rather than sight or smell.
In summary, in a physical assessment, inspection is the key technique that relies on the health professional's sight and smell to observe and detect visual and olfactory clues that aid in the assessment of a patient's health.
