Guidelines to Digital Rectal Examination (DRE)
Ain Shams university undergraduate courses
- Introduce yourself to the patient
- Explain the maneuver and take an oral consent
- Position the patient (lithotomy, lateral, standing bent
over or knee chest)
- Wear disposable gloves
- Generously lubricate index finger of examining hand
- Separate the buttocks and inspect the anus
- Gently insert the lubricated index finger while comforting the
patient (waiting for a few seconds will relax the
anal sphincter allowing introduction of the entire finger)
- In slow, firm, circular finger motion palpate the posterior
prostatic surface
- Comment on the following:
·
Anal tone
·
Anal or rectal masses
·
Prostatic size (normally size of a
chestnut)
·
Prostatic consistency (normally as a
contracted thenar eminence)
·
Prostatic symmetry (normally both lobes
are symmetrical)
·
Palpable prostatic nodule or
irregularity
·
Induration in bladder base
 - Ain Shams university undergraduate courses){kind=link}