Physical exam items laid out

Jimmys case illustrates the fact that the most common cause of significant lower GI bleeding is upper GI bleeding. Forget this at yours and the patients peril.

I've never had my doctor lay stuff out before the exam. It is like that at the dentist, but not the doctor.

Not actually laid out, but I sometimes see my injections being prepared before I bend over to get them. Although it can be frightning to watch the nurse prepare a really big one, it has the questionable advantage of reducing the time I have to spend in bare-bottomed anticipation if she makes me pull down my pants and bend over before she prepares it so I can't see.

One nurse asked me if I wanted to wait outside while she prepared my shot but I declined with the remark, "So long as I can see it, it won't hurt me!"

At the pediatrician's office, everything is usually laid out. There are gloves, sterile wipes, a finger prink kit, blood pressure cuff, urine test cup, etc. The gown is usually retrieved from under the sink and then the nurse instructed me to remove my clothes but you can keep your underwear on

I'd like to go in for a normal physical and have a rigid sigmoidiscope laying there................

If you are terrified of needles, Brooklyn, bend over and take your shots where you can't see. That's what I do.

This happened to me last week. Upon entering the exam room, there was a gown on the exam table as had been the case for my prior annual physicals. For the second year in a row, there was a paper drape next to the rolled-up exam gown, which the medical assistant said I could use "across my lap, or however I want." And for the first time, the medical assistant had actually put the tube of lube on the counter ... next to a box of tissues! [I'll be posting pics if you have access to the gallery.]

I've had DREs several times now, so I'm not even nervous about them. It was actually fun to see the tube laid out there! I kept looking at it as she asked me questions and checked my BP. After that ... she looked me squarely in the eye and said: "I'm going to leave the room so you can get undressed. You need to take everything off, including your underwear. Make sure the opening of the gown is in the back."

That instruction is one of my favorite parts of the physical. I love seeing how they give this instruction!

Rigid sigmoidoscopes are locked up. Believe me. They're very expensive.

And for the first time, the medical assistant had actually put the tube of lube on the counter ... next to a box of tissues!

I agree, seeing the tube of lube already out on the counter is one of my favorite things too. First, I like it because it means I am expected to receive a rectal exam. And second, I really like it because the nurse or MA knows that I will receive a rectal exam. I always wonder if as she's doing the preliminary parts of the exam and prepping the instruments and lube she forms a mental picture of me as my doctor uses that very lube to penetrate me with her finger.

Sfcfml, did you use the paper drape instead of the gown or was the paper drape to be used to cover your lap while wearing the gown?

Seems like an ambiguous instruction from the nurse if all she mentioned was the drape. I had a doctor a long time ago whose nurse was explicit that I needed to strip down completely, including underwear, and put on the gown and then cover my legs with a cloth drape. I did it even though it seemed like a lot of covering for nothing, but this doctor seemed to be very cautious about uncovered patients or else thought his patients got too cold in a gown only. When I had been in a gown only at other doctors' offices, the gown was the only thing I wore, no drape for the legs and while I was more exposed sitting on the table, it wasn't a big deal since the doctor eventually sees it all anyway. The only point of a drape is to keep the patient's legs warmer or to keep someone from seeing up the gown while the patient is sitting on the table.

The only point of a drape is to keep the patient's legs warmer or to keep someone from seeing up the gown while the patient is sitting on the table.

I would actually take that a step further. The only point of the drape, or even of the gown, is to protect the patient's modesty while the door to the exam room is opened and closed. Once the provider (doctor, NP, PA, nurse, whatever) is in the room and the door is closed again, there is no need for the gown or drape.

The female nurse took me to the room and did the interview, and at the end passed me a gown, brusquely told me to.UNDRESS while she laid lube and.gloves out.

I didn't realize a tube of lube could make that much noise on a metal tray!

Removed the mystery but definitely built the anticipation.

You know I've been thinking about having a patient naked for the history. I don't like the idea very much. As a physician I would find it very off putting and annoying. Too much intimacy so that I would be distracted. I would request the patient to dress. After all the exam is to help diagnose the problem not for the patients jollies.

The only thing out is a gown and drape...lubricant is on the counter always...the nurse takes out pap kit when one is needed...

I usually go for an annual physical in a designated health screening clinic. I always fix appointment with female doctor. Initially the Nurse will call me for some vitals like Weight, Height, BMI, eye testing etc. Afterwards, the doctor herself will come out in the reception and call me to follow her to her clinic room. That makes me feel quite excited....following a confident female like a submissive,obedient patient. On entering the exam room, I will find that she has already kept her stethoscope, BP Instrument on the side table beside examination table. A few items which alarms me are one piece of stainless steel proctoscope, a box of latex gloves and tube of lignocaine gel. I could easily understand what is coming for me.

I haven't heard of a proctoscopic exam being part of a regular physical exam. Did you have some condition that required a proctoscope? Anyone have a proctoscopic exam during a physical where you had no symptoms indicating that one was needed?

Proctoscopy is not part of any routine physical exam unless there parts of the history which dictate doing it. I do them in the ED rarely but can do them anytime I need to. Obviously for a rectal surgeon they're totally routine. For me they eat up time which I don't really have.

If you did more proctoscopy, you'd be able to diagnose more craniorectal inversion and throw that ICD-10 down as well.

Oh you mean shit for brains? I'm pretty good at diagnosing that without tools. Good idea though.

All our monitoring equipment is mounted and is always in plain site, like the the ECG leads, Pulse ox ( on the ITU the vents are next to the beds), ready for use. Next to our beds or in the cubicles, we have a medical trolley stacked full with supplies, that range from syringes, needles, venflons., dressings, vacutainers, blood bottles, dressings, IV lines, fluids etc.

So its always on display and close at hand for use. In addition we have specialist trolleys for Chest drain insertions, Central lines and intubation .

I've always thought having the medical instruments out for the patient to see before she laid down on the examination table was a must. Many of the exams I've done they've wanted to have this laid out. Either that or they enjoy when they are laying down and they can see me bringing the instruments to their examination side. I've been told this can also be quite fun.

GI appointment last month, already nervous. Had to take two Fleet enemas prior to going, so I knew he wasn't checking my tonsils. Already intimidated by the reason for being there, then after brief discussion with nurse, she leaves and I see the tray table. There in a plastic sealed pouched is a stainless steel anoscope. The stuff dreams and nightmare are made of. I think I turned 50 shades of red at the anticipation of this device going into my nether region. Needless to say it was a eye-opening experience on multiple levels.

In my fantasy exams all instruments are laid out for me to see. They included dildos of various sizes, clamps, rectal thermometers, calipers, nipple clamps and suction cups, and of course a device to measure clitoral responses.

My doctor has several things laid out on the counter in the exam room before I am brought in. He wears his stethoscope around his neck but anything else that he needs to use (reflex hammer, tongue depressors, etc) are on the either on the counter or hanging on the wall (blood pressure cuff, otoscope, ophthalmoscope).

After sitting nude on the exam table waiting for my pediatrician to come in. there was a side table next to the exam room where the equipment was laid out. otoscope, ophthalmoscope, reflex hammer, tongue depressors and smell of alcohol added to the anticipation.

I just had a physical at a family practice. The gloves and little light they use were hanging on the wall. On the counter was a container of tongue depressors and his rubber hammer. At the other end of the counter was one of those black wire mesh containers used to hold pens. There were a few pens in there, but what I noticed was a big tube of lubricant sticking out of it. It was actually pretty smart because it was on the counter right beside where he sat when giving me my prostate exam. It's somewhat hidden and yet very accessible.

I used to go to a female family doctor. I had noticed that they have trays made up for physicals and placed them on small, metal, rolling tables just outside of the exam room after they take the patient into the room. It appeared the trays were gender specific. Pap smear items, lube, etc. for females, lube, card used after rectal exam for males (I'm guessing). Sometimes the doctor would take it in with her when she entered the exam room, sometimes the nurse would bring it in when she was summoned to join the exam. It was always a small thrill to see one sitting outside of an exam room. I saw one sitting outside of my room one time when I was leaving after a check up. Unfortunately, she never needed one for me. ?

I don’t usually see anything special or unusual laid out. So much is mounted on wall anyway - gloves, otoscope, bp, etc. I’ve seen tubes of lube out, but they weren’t used for my exam.

I have a physical with a new doctor this Friday, so I’ll report back if anything changes. :-)

As others have noted, I do like having equipment laid out for play exams. It adds to the anticipation as a patient, and as a doc it’s fun to see patients’ curiosity, especially if they’re less experienced in med play.

Prior to one to one Exam, the nurse laid out on the exam table a tube of K-Y jelly and some tissue

I had a physical with a new Dr a few years ago and when then male nurse led me in the exam room he had a pair of underwear type bottoms made out of the disposable gown material out and a paper towel with a gob of k-y on it. He told me to strip and put on just the bottom as soon as I gave a urine sample across the hall.

Well, that was ones those times I was dry and by the time I got done the Dr was waiting in the room and all that was skipped to speed it up. I got my physical fully dressed and only lowered my pants for the hernia check.

Disappointing, to say the least...

I think it is not really full physical/physical exam at all, as I only had proctoscope exam once, but I did see that metal tube nest to exam table as well as tube of some sort of lubricant, while female doctor was asking some questions. I knew before entering her office what kind of exam i will be getting, so it was not a surprise, i was just kind of shocked by the size/length of that instrument.