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Saturday, 11 January 2014

The Difficulties Of Conducting A Thorough Pediatric Physical Exam

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By Marissa Velazquez


Nobody wants anyone that they love and care for to be ill. Sick children, however, seem to cause their parents particular agony. Nobody wants a child to suffer and it is especially heart breaking to stand by without being able to do anything to make things better. Of course, the best course of action when a child becomes ill is to seek medical help immediately. A thorough pediatric physical exam may help to diagnose the problem quickly.

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.

Children need to be attended by specialist doctors because their medical needs differ from those of adults. Children are still developing and at each developmental phase they may develop different types of diseases and other medical conditions. The treatment used with young patients often differs from those used on adults and the medication used is also often uniquely developed for children. Some types of disease are almost exclusively found in 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.

Another great challenge faced by pediatricians is the behavior of parents and loved ones. Many parents refuse to leave the side of the sick child. They often try to answer questions on behalf of the patients and they are known to interfere with treatment procedures because they cannot bear to witness the agony suffered by their children. They are also notorious for dithering before giving permission for urgent treatment.

Pediatricians go to great lengths to create a consulting atmosphere that will keep their patients calm and occupied. They offer toys and games to play with and they make sure that they utilize a peaceful color scheme that will appeal to their patients. They make sure that their patients are not scared by harsh lights, loud voices and arrays of threatening equipment.

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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