Patients presenting for Routine Examinations

Thalidomide is still used in some parts of the world for the treatment of HIV disease and leprosy.

Perinatal issues include birth asphyxia, intrauterine growth restriction, low birth weight, and preterm birth. Each of these affects a child’s development and is more prevalent in low-income populations because of a lack of good obstetrical care. Neonatal factors include untreated hyperbilirubinemia in the neonatal period and certain neonatal infections.

PATIENTS PRESENTING FOR ROUTINE EXAMINATIONS

Routine examinations are part of the care of the well patient, the detection of disease in their early stages, and the prevention of disease processes. It is also called a wellness check, which is paid for by almost all insurance plans. Wellness checks have a cost benefit because they detect and prevent diseases that are costly once they have already become symptomatic. It is a time for asking question on the part of the patient regarding symptoms or issues they may have.

The main purpose of a routine examination is to determine the overall health status of the patient. It is often called an annual examination because it is done annually, particularly for those individuals over the age of 50 years. Diseases are detected in their early stages, imminent medical concerns are detected, immunizations updated, discussions are had about disease prevention, and a relationship is built between the well patient and their provider.

Besides the screening examination, several screening tests are done, which will be further discussed in the next section. Screening tests can be blood tests, such as cholesterol and blood sugar testing, screening vital signs, such as pulse and blood pressure, and other screening examinations, such as mammography and colonoscopy. The idea behind screening is to identify early, asymptomatic disease processes.

Somewhat related to the annual examination are the preoperative examination and examinations done before certain medical treatments, such as chemotherapy for cancer treatment. With these examinations, the past medical history is focused on but there is less done regarding disease prevention and screening testing.