Pediatric Physical Examination & Health Assessment

Book excerpt: Pediatric Physical Examination & Health Assessment explores physical examinations of pediatric clients from newborn through adolescence while providing key insights into how to conduct and assess them. A beginning guide for those learning to perform physical examinations on patients from birth through adolescence, this text describes the many examination techniques for infants and children throughout their development. Approaching each system from a developmental perspective, each chapter addresses a specific system divided into four major components: interviewing techniques, anatomy and physiology, examination techniques, and normal variations and common abnormal findings all detailing how to approach each age group from infant to adolescent. Since treating pediatric patients requires building ease and trust, each chapter includes seize the opportunity suggestions to help you assess that part of the body readily available without being intrusive or causing fear and discomfort. Further, following many chapters is a case study that incorporates diagnostic reasoning, critical thinking, and evidence-based practice.