Final answer:
The first physical-assessment technique to perform during a complete, head-to-toe examination is Inspection, as it allows observation without altering the patient's state prior to other methods like palpation, percussion, and auscultation.
Step-by-step explanation:
When performing a complete, head-to-toe physical examination, the technique that should be performed first is a) Inspection. Inspection involves looking at the patient for any signs of abnormality without any physical contact. This is the initial step in a physical assessment and provides valuable information that might be altered by the subsequent techniques of palpation, percussion, or auscultation. For instance, observing the patient's skin color, posture, and breathing patterns can offer immediate clues about their health status. Once inspection is thoroughly conducted, the examiner can then proceed with palpation to feel for abnormalities, percussion to assess underlying structures, and auscultation, which involves listening to the sounds made by the heart, lungs, and other organs using a stethoscope, to evaluate their function.