Talley and O'Connor's Clinical Examination
- 10th Edition - January 12, 2026
- Latest edition
- Authors: Nicholas J. Talley, Simon O’Connor
- Language: English
Comprehensive guide to core principles and clinical skillsTalley and O’Connor’s Clinical Examination is a complete resource for students and educators covering the core princip… Read more
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Comprehensive guide to core principles and clinical skills
Talley and O’Connor’s Clinical Examination is a complete resource for students and educators covering the core principles, skills and competencies needed for effective patient examination and diagnosis.
For each body system, the book details how to take a systematic and comprehensive health history, how to examine a patient, how to correlate physical signs with disease, and how to use rigorous clinical thinking skills to form a diagnosis.
This tenth edition of the book has been fully updated and forms part of a complete package that includes an eBook, skills videos, ECG and imaging cases, and Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs), and is complemented by two companion texts, Talley and O’Connor’s Clinical OSCEs and Clinical Examination Essentials.
- Suitable for every level of medical student in Australia and New Zealand as well as those in the UK, Ireland, Canada and across Asia and Africa – from pre-clinical studies through to final exams
- Offers a systematic approach to physical examination and history taking
- Includes all important specialties – including women’s health, paediatrics, mental health, and acute care
- Fully updated with the latest evidence, references and historical notes
- Content organised to maximise comprehension, with supporting full-colour figures, comments, footnotes and aide-memoires
- Additional online material to support learning
New to this edition
- New section on dermatology and skin colour and the racial differences in disease
- Content displayed separately for junior and more advanced students
- New videos demonstrating physical examination techniques
Section 1: The general principles of history taking and physical examination
1. The general principles of history taking2. Taking the history: advanced history taking
3. The general principles of physical examination
Section 2: The cardiovascular system
4. The cardiovascular history
5. The cardiac examination
6. The limb examination and peripheral vascular disease
7. Correlation of physical signs disease and cardiovascular disease
8. A summary of the cardiovascular examination and extending the cardiovascular examination
Section 3: The respiratory system
9. The respiratory history
10. The respiratory examination
11. Correlation of physical signs and respiratory disease
12. A summary of the respiratory examination and extending the respiratory examination
Section 4: The gastrointestinal system
13. The gastrointestinal history
14. The gastrointestinal examination
15. Correlation of physical signs and gastrointestinal disease
16. A summary of the gastrointestinal examination and extending the gastrointestinal examination
Section 5: The genitourinary system
17. The genitourinary history
18. The genitourinary examination
19. A summary of the examination of chronic kidney disease and extending the genitourinary examination
Section 6: The haematological system
20. The haematological history
21. The haematological examination
22. A summary of the haematological examination and extending the haematological examination
Section 7: The rheumatological system
23. The rheumatological history
24. The rheumatological examination
25. Correlation of physical signs with rheumatological and musculoskeletal disease
26. A summary of the rheumatological examination and extending the rheumatological examination
Section 8: The endocrine system
27. The endocrine history
28. The endocrine examination
29. Correlation of physical signs and endocrine disease
30. A summary of the endocrine examination and extending the endocrine examination
Section 9 The nervous system
31. The neurological history
32. The neurological examination: general signs and the cranial nerves
33. The neurological examination: speech and higher centres
34. The neurological examination: the peripheral nervous system
35. Correlation of physical signs and neurological syndromes and disease
36. A summary of the neurological examination and extending the neurological examinatio
Section 10: Paediatric and neonatal history and examination
37. The paediatric history and examination
38. The neonatal history and examination
Section 11: Women's health history and examination
39. The obstetric history and examination
40. The gynaecological history and examination
41. The breasts: history and examination
Section 12: Specialty system history and examination
42. The eyes, ears, nose and throat
43. The skin and lumps
44. The older person assessment
45. Approaching infectious diseases
Section 13: Mental health history and examination
46. The mental health history and mental state examination
Section 14: Acute care and end of life
47. The acutely ill patient
48. The pre-anaesthetic medical evaluation (PAME)
49. Assessment of death
Section 15: Adult history taking and examination in the wards and clinics
50. Writing and presenting the adult history and physical examination
51. A suggested method for a rapid screening adult physical examination
- Edition: 10
- Latest edition
- Published: January 12, 2026
- Language: English
NT
Nicholas J. Talley
Nicholas J Talley AC
MD (NSW), PhD (Syd), MMedSci (Clin Epi)(Newc.), FRACP, FAFPHM, FAHMS, FRCP (Lond. & Edin.), FACP, FACG, AGAF, FAMS, FRCPI (Hon)
Distinguished Laureate Professor, University of Newcastle and
Senior Staff Specialist, John Hunter Hospital, NSW, Australia;
Adjunct Professor, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill,
North Carolina, United States
Affiliations and expertise
Distinguished Laureate Professor, University of Newcastle and Senior Staff Specialist, John Hunter Hospital, NSW, Australia; Adjunct Professor, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United StatesSO
Simon O’Connor
Simon O’Connor
FRACP, DDU, FCSANZ
Cardiologist, Canberra, Australian Capital
Territory, Australia
Affiliations and expertise
Cardiologist, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia