STANFORD MEDICAL SCHOOL 25 BEDSIDE TESTS

Stanford 25
Stanford Medical School in California is trying to make sure its graduates and trainees know how to do 25 bedside tests that it considers essential to good doctoring.


Here's the list:


Examine the back of the eye
Examine the pupil of the eye and its response to light
Examine the thyroid gland
Examine the neck veins for abnormal size and pulses
Examine the lung's surface, lung sounds and borders
Evaluate the heart's motion
Examine the liver's size and shape
Evaluate the spleen's size and density
Evaluate gait (walking movements)
Test ankle reflexes for nerve abnormalities
Identify markers of liver disease throughout the body
Identify signs of stroke caused by blockage of a deep brain artery
Examine the knee
Identify abnormal heart sounds
Evaluate tremors and other involuntary movements
Recognize markers of disease in the hands and fingernails
Examine the tongue
Examine the shoulder for injuries and joint abnormalities
Assess blood pressure and abnormal pulses
Assess lymph nodes in the neck
Detect fluid in the abdomen and abdominal blood flow
Perform a rectal exam
Evaluate a mass in the scrotum
Test balance and ability to perceive the body's position in space
Use a pocket ultrasound device*
*This item is not yet standard practice in most U.S. medical settings, but Dr. Abraham Verghese of Stanford hopes it will be. He says it's valuable in detecting abnormal fluids, quickly evaluating heart function and assessing organ abnormalities


--Richard Knox