Physical Exam
What tends to shock most people is that it is once we get to the THIRD step we physically touch our patient. A common mistake is to want to jump in and start touching the patient immediately but this step should be completed after obtaining the signalment and history - even better if you assess the patient from afar to get a better picture of their behavior before starting the physical exam.
In this step, the medical professional will do a thorough examination of each of the important organ systems to feel, look, and assess all the parts of the patient's body. A short list of some of the physical exam is below...
Temperature
Breathing (Respiratory) Rate
Heart Rate (Pulse)
Oral (Mouth) Exam
Abdominal Palpation
Orthopedic Exam
Skin/Fur Exam
Assessing/Palpating all major organ systems
Why is the physical exam important?
The physical exam is extremely important to understanding what might be causing the patient's illness and to assess the overall health of the patient. During the physical exam, the medical professional is able to use their knowledge and experience to find what is normal versus abnormal in the patient to further narrow down and order their list of potential causes of the patient's illness.
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