Examining a child: introduction

Examining a child: introduction

The physical examination of a child is one of the hardest parts of the doctor–patient interaction. You will need to have gained the confidence of the family and the child if you are to get the information that you require. How you approach the family (and how you communicate with them) throughout the interaction will be picked up by the child. In fact, a child may decide very early into the interview whether you’ve gained their confidence, and whether or not they will let you examine them. No amount of coercing will improve the situation—the parent will often be your advocate and do the convincing for you. It is therefore very worth-while investing in the art of communication—how to talk with toddlers to teenagers and how to speak effectively with parents of sick children.

The following description is not meant to be prescriptive. There is much overlap between the different systems and you will have to decide on when, and in what order, you do things. For example, the tongue is assessed in the respiratory, cardiovascular, and GI systems—just look at it once!