Saturday, January 11, 2014

The Difficulties Of Conducting A Thorough Pediatric Physical Exam

By Marissa Velazquez


Few things are as scary and as agonizing as when a child is sick. Children are innocent and they simply do not understand why they are feeling so poorly. Parents can worsen the situation by panicking or, even worse, by taking the attitude that things will soon get better. Most parents feel helpless and they do not know how to deal with the situation. A meticulous pediatric physical exam is the very best course of action in such circumstances.

There are vast differences between the way adult patients and children are handled. Children often do not understand that they are ill. They become scared because they simply do not understand what it is that is happening to them and they do not understand that their parents are unable to help them. Pediatricians are trained to deal with young patients that are unable to answer questions rationally.

There are other reasons why children need to be treated by specialists. The bodies of children are constantly changing as they grow up and the correct diagnosis of ailments depends very much upon the developmental stage of the child. Treatment will also differ from that offered to adults, even if it is common ailment. Of course, there are certain medical conditions that are almost exclusively contracted by children.

Pediatricians have to examine their patients without the benefit of being able to ask questions. Parents may sometimes provide vital information but the diagnostic skills of the physician have to be extraordinary. Children may also view the pediatrician as hostile and they may refuse to cooperate. They see the examination and the treatment as threatening. That is why pediatricians need special skills and endless patience.

It is not only the young patients that can cause difficulties for the pediatrician. The parents are often obstructive. They are hesitant to give permission for some procedures and they are often in the way. In many cases they insist on second or even third opinions, thereby delaying urgent treatment. Pediatricians often spend almost as much time with the parents as with the patient.

Most pediatricians try to make their consulting rooms as friendly as possible. There are toys, videos and games to keep waiting patients occupied and to calm them down. Peaceful color schemes are chosen and everything possible is done to create an atmosphere within which the young patients will feel secure and calm. The actual examination is done slowly and gently and if it is possible, the parents are asked to stay at hand.

Children are much more likely to cooperate and to remain calm if they are familiar with the environment and the people that work there. That is why it is vital to take the child for visits to the pediatrician from an early age. If they know the doctor they will develop trust and will therefore not be scared when they need to be injected, for example.

It is only natural that parents will do everything they possibly can when a child falls ill. Because children are often not able to describe their own symptoms accurately, it is best to insist upon a thorough pediatric physical exam when they are obviously not well. Children can become very ill very quickly and timeous action is always the best course of action.




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