how are diseases treatment process medical examination

The medical examination procedure consists of a physical examination, an evaluation (blood test/chest x-ray examination) for tuberculosis, urine test for gonorrhea and blood test for syphilis. The vaccination requirements include vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

Full Answer

What is the diagnostic process for a diagnosis?

The diagnostic process generally follows these steps: Your doctor will first want to get your medical history. This information describes any symptoms you have now or had in the past, as well as any diseases that your family members may have.

What does a medical examination entail?

What does a medical examination entail? The medical examination procedure consists of a physical examination, an evaluation (blood test/chest x-ray examination) for tuberculosis, urine test for gonorrhea and blood test for syphilis. The vaccination requirements include vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

What tests are done to diagnose a disease?

Which ones depend on your symptoms and suspected diagnosis, and often include bloodwork and imaging tests like MRIs, CTs, and X-rays. After forming an official diagnosis your doctor can now offer treatment options best suited to whatever is causing you to feel ill.

How are the results of diagnostic tests evaluated?

The results of these tests are evaluated in the context of the patient's history and physical examination. There are scores of diagnostic tests—blood tests, x-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans, ultrasounds, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)—to help the health care practitioner identify the cause of disease.

What is the process of diagnosing a disease?

Steps to diagnosistaking an appropriate history of symptoms and collecting relevant data.physical examination.generating a provisional and differential diagnosis.testing (ordering, reviewing, and acting on test results)reaching a final diagnosis.consultation (referral to seek clarification if indicated)More items...

What are the methods of treatment of a disease?

Medical professionals use medicine, therapy, surgery, and other treatments to help lessen the symptoms and effects of a disease. Sometimes these treatments are cures — in other words, they get rid of the disease.

How do doctors diagnose and treat patients?

The steps of the diagnostic process fall into three broad categories: Initial Diagnostic Assessment – Patient history, physical exam, evaluation of the patient's chief complaint and symptoms, forming a differential diagnosis, and ordering of diagnostic tests.

How does a doctor diagnose the disease in a diseased person?

The process of studying the symptoms in a person as a result of a disease is called diagnosis. The diagnosis can either occur through a physical examination or by reading briefly through the medical history of the patient. In some cases, tests are carried out to discover the underlying cause of a disease.

What is meant by medical treatment?

"medical treatment" includes nursing, psychological intervention and specialist mental health habilitation, rehabilitation and care (but see also subsection (4) below)". 39. Accordingly, the definition covers medical treatment in its normal sense as well as the other forms of treatment mentioned.

Why is disease treatment important?

For example, treatments for chronic illnesses focus on reducing symptoms and preventing or delaying complications. If you stop treatment, these may occur more quickly, which could have a major impact not only on your quality of life, but also on your life expectancy.

What are the steps followed in diagnostic test?

The stages of diagnostic testing are: i) Identifying the students who need help. ii) Locating the error/learning difficulties. iii) Discovering the causal factors.

What is diagnostic procedure?

A Diagnostic Procedure is a CLINICAL INTERVENTION. A Diagnostic Procedure is a procedure (excluding Diagnostic Imaging) that is performed on a PATIENT in order to diagnose a condition disease or illness.

What is medical examination?

The medical examination is one means of evaluating the health of aliens applying for admission or adjustment of status as permanent residents in the United States. These instructions are for the use of civil surgeons and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials who are evaluating aliens applying for adjustment ...

What is the purpose of a medical exam?

The purpose of the medical examination is to determine whether the alien has: 1) a physical or mental disorder (including a communicable disease of public health significance or drug abuse/addiction) that renders him or her ineligible for admission or adjustment of status (Class A condition); or 2) a physical or mental disorder that, although does not constitute a specific excludable condition, represents a departure from normal health or well-being that is significant enough to possibly interfere with the person’s ability to care for him- or herself, to attend school or work, or that may require extensive medical treatment or institutionalization in the future (Class B condition).

What is a mental exam?

A physical examination, including an evaluation of mental status, sufficient to permit a determination of the presence and the severity of Class A and Class B conditions. The physical examination is to include#N#a mental status examination that includes, at a minimum, assessment of intelligence, thought, cognition (comprehension), judgment, affect (and mood), and behavior#N#a physical examination that includes, at a minimum, examination of the eyes, ears, nose and throat, extremities, heart, lungs, abdomen, lymph nodes, and skin#N#all diagnostic tests required to identify communicable diseases of public health significance, as well as other tests identified as necessary to confirm a suspected diagnosis of any other Class A or Class B condition 1 a mental status examination that includes, at a minimum, assessment of intelligence, thought, cognition (comprehension), judgment, affect (and mood), and behavior 2 a physical examination that includes, at a minimum, examination of the eyes, ears, nose and throat, extremities, heart, lungs, abdomen, lymph nodes, and skin 3 all diagnostic tests required to identify communicable diseases of public health significance, as well as other tests identified as necessary to confirm a suspected diagnosis of any other Class A or Class B condition

What is the purpose of diagnostic tests?

all diagnostic tests required to identify communicable diseases of public health significance, as well as other tests identified as necessary to confirm a suspected diagnosis of any other Class A or Class B condition

What is medical history?

A medical history, obtained by the civil surgeon or a member of the physician’s professional staff, from the applicant (preferably) or a family member, which includes. a review of all hospitalizations. a review of all institutionalizations for chronic conditions (physical or mental) a review of all illnesses or disabilities resulting in ...

What is included in a civil surgeon's medical report?

The civil surgeon must include a statement of likely degree of disability and the need for extensive medical care or institutionalization for any Class B conditions identified during the examination. Findings of drug abuse or addiction should be indicated in the “Remarks” section of the medical report form.

What diseases should be asked by a physician?

The physician should ask specifically about symptoms that suggest cardiovascular, pulmonary, musculoskeletal, and neuropsychiatric disorders. Symptoms suggestive of infection with any of the excludable communicable diseases (tuberculosis, syphilis, gonorrhea, and Hansen’s disease) should also be sought.

What is diagnosis in medicine?

Diagnosis means finding the cause of a disorder, not just giving it a name. —Sydney Walker III. The practice of medicine often is considered to be both science and art because identifying the underlying causes of disease and establishing a diagnosis require that health care practitioners use a combination of scientific method, intuition, ...

What is the first step in the diagnostic process?

In fact, many health care practitioners (physicians, nurses, and allied health professionals) believe that the patient's medical history is the key to diagnosis and that the physical examination and results of any diagnostic testing (laboratory analyses of blood or urine, x-rays, or other imaging studies) simply serve to confirm the diagnosis made on the basis of the medical history.

Why is it important to order blood tests?

There are scores of diagnostic tests—blood tests, x-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans, ultrasounds, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)—to help the health care practitioner identify the cause of disease. It is important for practitioners to choose tests that not only improve their understanding of the disease but also affect treatment decisions. The decision to order a specific diagnostic test takes into account the test's reliability, validity, sensitivity, and specificity in addition to its risks to the patient and costs in terms of time and dollars.

What is the meaning of "validity" in medical terms?

Validity is the accuracy of the diagnostic test. It is the degree to which the diagnostic test measures the disease, blood level, or other quality or characteristic it is intended to detect. A valid diagnostic test is one that can distinguish between those who have the disease from those who do not.

Why are laboratory tests important?

Laboratory tests are easy, convenient screening measures because multiple tests may be performed on a single sample of blood and abnormal test results can provide valuable clues for diagnosis.

What is the purpose of blood tests?

For screening purposes (to detect disease at its earli est stage, before it produces symptoms ), the health care practitioner may order a variety of blood tests, including:

What blood test is used to detect prostate cancer?

PSA (prostate specific antigen) —This blood test is used to screen for prostate cancer and to monitor treatment of the disease. Stool occult blood (also called fecal occult blood test)—This tests for the presence of blood in the stool, which could be an indicator of colon cancer.

What is a Diagnosis?

The diagnosis is the identification of a disease, disorder, or other condition that you may have that is causing your symptoms.

What tests are used to confirm a diagnosis?

Which ones depend on your symptoms and suspected diagnosis, and often include bloodwork and imaging tests like MRIs, CTs, and X-rays.

What kind of tests do doctors run?

What kind of tests will your doctor run? It depends entirely on your symptoms and the suspected diagnosis. Your doctor may order bloodwork that will tell them how different organs are functioning, or imaging tests like a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, X-ray, ultrasound, or computed tomography (CT) scan to look inside your body. Respiratory tests, exercise tests, or any number of other diagnostic tools can also be used to provide information.

Why is it important to have a physical exam?

It's important to let your doctor know where you are experiencing symptoms so that they can more closely examine those parts of your body and collect more information for their diagnosis.

What do doctors do to listen to your body?

Your doctor may also listen to your lungs and heart with a stethoscope, feel or palpate parts of your body like your lymph nodes and abdomen, test your reflexes, use percussion or tapping to listen to sounds in your body, look at your eyes, ears, and mouth, and examine any other places they think may be important.

What do doctors do when you come to the office?

The first thing your doctor will do when you come to the office is get your complete medical history. This involves collecting information about any past and current symptoms, any diseases that your family members may have, and collecting any other information that may be helpful such as medications you may be taking. You might think that lab tests and other diagnostic tools are more important than your medical history, but they can carry important clues the doctor might need.

What does it mean to enroll in a course?

Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams.

What diseases require a catheter to be placed in the urinary bladder?

Disease processes that require urinary bladder catheterization have existed since ancient times. Urethral strictures, bladder stones, and prostatism are among the first diseases that necessitated urinary bladder decompression by catheterization. The approach to urinary catheterization remains the same today as it was in ancient times. It is the technique of passing a hollow tube through the urethra into the urinary bladder for purposes of circumventing an obstructed urinary bladder or obtaining a sample of urine for analysis, or both.

How do pulpal and periodontal disease relate?

For the clinician, the close relationship between pulpal and periodontal disease is reasonably established on clinical and radiographic levels. Because interpretations vary as to which came first (the proverbial “chicken or egg” controversy), clinical data gathering in endodontic and periodontal problems is often complex, requiring medical history review, pulp vitality testing, pocket and furcation probing, tooth mobility determinations, and critical examination of radiographs. When formulating a differential diagnosis, the clinician should first consider both the periodontal and pulpal status of the affected tooth. If an interrelationship in disease entities exists, appropriate treatment must be rendered to remove true causative factors and enhance the prognosis for tooth retention. 72 Fig. 18-1 lists interrelationships between pulpal and periodontal disease.

What is the inflammatory process of Takayasu's arteritis?

The inflammatory disease process of Takayasu’s arteritis differs dramatically from the visceral ischemia of aortic dissection. The catastrophic event of aortic rupture tends to overshadow life-altering events such as stroke and paraplegia.

What happens if a lesion of endodontic origin is not treated?

When a lesion of endodontic origin is not treated, usually pathosis will continue, leading to destruction of the periapical alveolar bone and progression into the interradicular area, causing breakdown of surrounding hard and soft tissues ( Fig. 18-4 ). As drainage persists through the gingival sulcus, accumulation of plaque and calculus in the purulent pocket results in periodontal disease and further apical migration of the attachment. When this occurs, not only does the diagnosis become more difficult, but the prognosis and treatment may be altered. Diagnostically, these lesions have a necrotic root canal and plaque or calculus accumulation, demonstrable by a probe and radiograph. Radiographs may show generalized periodontal disease with angular defects at the initial site of the endodontic involvement.

How does the diagnostic process work?

Once a patient seeks health care, there is an iterative process of information gathering, information integration and interpretation, and determining a working diagnosis. Performing a clinical history and interview, conducting a physical exam, performing diagnostic testing, and referring or consulting with other clinicians are all ways of accumulating information that may be relevant to understanding a patient's health problem. The information-gathering approaches can be employed at different times, and diagnostic information can be obtained in different orders. The continuous process of information gathering, integration, and interpretation involves hypothesis generation and updating prior probabilities as more information is learned. Communication among health care professionals, the patient, and the patient's family members is critical in this cycle of information gathering, integration, and interpretation.

What are the four types of information gathering activities in the diagnostic process?

The committee identified four types of information-gathering activities in the diagnostic process: taking a clinical history and interview; performing a physical exam; obtaining diagnostic testing; and sending a patient for referrals or consultations.

What is the importance of clinical history?

Acquiring a clinical history and interviewing a patient provides important information for determining a diagnosis and also establishes a solid foundation for the relationship between a clinician and the patient. A common maxim in medicine attributed to William Osler is: “Just listen to your patient, he is telling you the diagnosis” (Gandhi, 2000, p. 1087). An appointment begins with an interview of the patient, when a clinician compiles a patient's medical history or verifies that the details of the patient's history already contained in the patient's medical record are accurate. A patient's clinical history includes documentation of the current concern, past medical history, family history, social history, and other relevant information, such as current medications (prescription and over-the-counter) and dietary supplements.

What is a working diagnosis?

The working diagnosis may be either a list of potential diagnoses (a differential diagnosis) or a single potential diagnosis. Typically, clinicians will consider more than one diagnostic hypothesis or possibility as an explanation of the patient's symptoms and will refine this list as further information is obtained in the diagnostic process. The working diagnosis should be shared with the patient, including an explanation of the degree of uncertainty associated with a working diagnosis. Each time there is a revision to the working diagnosis, this information should be communicated to the patient. As the diagnostic process proceeds, a fairly broad list of potential diagnoses may be narrowed into fewer potential options, a process referred to as diagnostic modification and refinement (Kassirer et al., 2010). As the list becomes narrowed to one or two possibilities, diagnostic refinement of the working diagnosis becomes diagnostic verification, in which the lead diagnosis is checked for its adequacy in explaining the signs and symptoms, its coherency with the patient's context (physiology, risk factors), and whether a single diagnosis is appropriate. When considering invasive or risky diagnostic testing or treatment options, the diagnostic verification step is particularly important so that a patient is not exposed to these risks without a reasonable chance that the testing or treatment options will be informative and will likely improve patient outcomes.

What is the purpose of a clinical history interview?

Performing a clinical history and interview, conducting a physical exam, performing diagnostic testing, and referring or consulting with other clinicians are all ways of accumulating information that may be relevant to understanding a patient's health problem.

How to obtain a clinical history?

The National Institute on Aging, in guidance for conducting a clinical history and interview, suggests that clinicians should avoid interrupting, demonstrate empathy, and establish a rapport with patients (NIA, 2008). Clinicians need to know when to ask more detailed questions and how to create a safe environment for patients to share sensitive information about their health and symptoms. Obtaining a history can be challenging in some cases: For example, in working with older adults with memory loss, with children, or with individuals whose health problems limit communication or reliable self-reporting. In these cases it may be necessary to include family members or caregivers in the history-taking process. The time pressures often involved in clinical appointments also contribute to challenges in the clinical history and interview. Limited time for clinical visits, partially attributed to payment policies (see Chapter 7), may lead to an incomplete picture of a patient's relevant history and current signs and symptoms.

Why is imaging not useful?

Imaging may fail to provide useful information because of modality sensitivity and specificity parameters; for example, the spatial resolution of an MRI may not be high enough to detect very small abnormalities. Inadequate patient education and preparation for an imaging test can also lead to suboptimal imaging quality that results in diagnostic error.

What are the mechanisms of disease?

Human disease, a universal occurrence, has varied manifestations, any of which threatens a person’s ability to adapt to internal and external stressors and to maintain a state of well-being.

What is the term for the development of disease?

The development of disease occurs in stages, described as the pathogenesis. In the course of infection, for instance, the pathogenesis may include an incubation period, a period of full-blown symptoms, and then remission or convalescence.

What are the factors that make a person more susceptible to disease?

A person may be susceptible to a greater or lesser degree, due to one or more risk factors that overlap or occur in combination. Predisposing factors include age, gender, lifestyle, environment, and heredity.

What is inflammation in the body?

Acute inflammation, a normal protective physiologic response to tissue injury and disease, is accompanied by redness, heat, swelling, pain, and loss of function. Widespread inflammation is marked by systemic symptoms, such as fever, malaise, and loss of appetite. Blood testing may reveal an elevated white blood cell count or an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). C-reactive protein (CRP) is a blood test marker used to detect inflammatory disorders, among other pathologies. The intensity of inflammation depends on the cause, the area of the body involved, and the physical condition of the person. An inflammatory response is considered a nonspecific immune response. Infection with pathogens, the effects of toxins, physical trauma, ischemia,and necrosisare some conditions that induce the inflammatory response. E1-1

What is the response of inflammation and disease?

Inflammation and Repair. Injury and disease impose stress on the body’s equilibrium and disrupt or destroy cellular function. Acute inflammation, a normal protective physiologic response to tissue injury and disease, is accompanied by redness, heat, swelling, pain, and loss of function.

What are the most common diseases in women?

Certain diseases are more common in women (e.g., multiple sclerosis and osteoporosis) and other disorders are more common in men (e.g., gout and Parkinson’s disease). Lifestyle. Occupation, habits, or one’s usual manner of living can have negative cumulative effects that can threaten a person’s health.

What are the major disruptions in the body's cellular equilibrium that threaten homeostasis?

Major disruptions in the body’s cellular equilibrium that threaten homeostasis include fluid and electrolyte imbalance and excessive acidity (acidosis) or alkalinity (alkalosis).

When is a screening test helpful?

While screening tests are not 100% accurate in all cases, it is generally more valuable to have the screening tests at the appropriate times , as recommended by your healthcare provider, than to not have them at all. However, some screening tests, when used in people not at high risk for disease, or when testing for very rare diseases, can cause more problems than they help.

Why do we need screening tests?

A screening test is done to detect potential health disorders or diseases in people who do not have any symptoms of disease. The goal is early detection and lifestyle changes or surveillance, to reduce the risk of disease, or to detect it early enough to treat it most effectively. Screening tests are not considered diagnostic, but are used to identify a subset of the population who should have additional testing to determine the presence or absence of disease.

What is a PSA test?

This blood test measures the prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels in the blood. Antigens are any substances that evoke responses from a person's immune system. The prostate specific antigen levels can be elevated in the presence of prostate cancer. However, it is important to understand that other benign prostate conditions may also elevate PSA, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), which is noncancerous swelling of the prostate. The PSA test is not recommended for all men, and there is considerable controversy over the role of PSA testing. Some organizations, such as the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), now recommend against PSA screening. The pros and cons of PSA screening should always be discussed with your healthcare provider before testing. Some of the cons include unnecessary testing and procedures, unnecessary costs, and significantly increased anxiety.

What is a Pap smear?

Pap smears are samples of cells taken from the cervix in women to look for cellular changes indicative of cervical cancer. The Pap smear is an important screening test in sexually active women under the age of 65, to detect cancer at a stage when there are often no symptoms. It is important to understand that a Pap smear may be referred to as "abnormal," but may not mean that a person has cervical cancer. Some organizations also recommend HPV (human papilloma virus) screening in certain populations during the Pap smear.

Can screening tests cause more problems than they help?

However, some screening tests, when used in people not at high risk for disease , or when testing for very rare diseases, can cause more problems than they help.

Scope of The Examination

Management of Medical Conditions Not Related to The Medical Exam

Referral For Further Evaluation

Medical Report Form

Medical Histories

Physical Examination

• The National Institutes of Health's U.S. National Library of Medicine (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/index.html) defines physical examination as "the process of examining the patient's body to determine the presence or absence of physical problems." It includes inspection (looking), palpation (feeling), auscultation (listening), and percussion (tapping to...

See more on encyclopedia.com

Diagnostic Testing

Diagnosing Mental Illness

Second Opinions