What Is Usually Done in a Complete Medical Examination?
In a complete medical examination, a doctor takes a patient’s health history, checks his vital signs, heart and lungs and performs a physical exam of the body from the head to the lower extremities. Doctors may also request certain laboratory tests, as noted by WebMD.
For a complete medical examination, a doctor takes the patient’s full medical history by asking questions about cigarette or alcohol use, diet, any health complaints or allergies, and he may also check if the patient requires any type of vaccinations.
As part of a complete physical, blood pressure, pulse, weight, temperature and height readings are also taken. The doctor then listens to the heart and lungs with a stethoscope to detect any irregularities in these organs, states WebMD. Doctors can detect abnormal heart sounds, such as murmurs or clicks, states Cleveland Clinic.
After this, a doctor can proceed to inspect the patient from head to toe. This can include a doctor checking the head, eyes, tonsils, mouth area, lymph nodes at the neck, abdominal area, reflexes, sexual organs and the overall appearance of the skin and nails. Through palpitation or tapping of the abdomen, doctors can check different internal organs, such as the liver and spleen.
Diagnostic tests, such as a complete blood count, urine analysis and chemistry panel, may also be part of a complete physical exam. If the doctor finds any unusual signs, then other tests may be necessary.
