Appointment with a general practitioner, diagnostic and treatment, primary

The section of medicine called “therapy” is aimed at studying, diagnosing, developing a system of conservative treatment, prevention and rehabilitation, studying the pathogenesis and etiology of various internal diseases and their clinical manifestations.
The field of therapy includes the study of diseases of the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, digestive tract, connective tissue, kidneys, liver, endocrine system, as well as infectious diseases. Accordingly, a therapist is a general practitioner whose competence includes studying the cause-and-effect relationship of the mechanisms of disease of internal organs and systems. He deals with their diagnosis, treatment, prevention and, if necessary, refers the person to a more specialized specialist, for example, a pulmonologist or cardiologist. The profession of a therapist is in great demand in the field of healthcare, since it is he who carries out the initial appointment and physical examination of the patient, and, based on the existing symptoms, determines which specialist should deal with this disease, including a surgical focus.

Areas of activity: what does a therapist do?

It is the therapist who is the “first line” of help to whom a person with alarming symptoms and suspicion of the presence of a disease goes. In the process of interaction with the patient, the doctor carries out a whole range of measures to help the patient.

Content:

• Areas of activity: what does a therapist do?
• Organs and parts of the body treated by therapists
• What diseases does a general practitioner treat?
• Who is a primary care physician and what does he do?
• Consultation with a therapist for pregnant women
• What symptoms should you consult a therapist for?
• What examination and treatment methods does the therapist use?
• Recommendations from therapists to strengthen the body’s overall resistance

First of all, the therapist begins to collect anamnesis, that is, conducts a survey and carefully studies the information obtained as a result in order to establish a general picture of the symptoms. The next stage of communication with the patient involves a physical examination, during which palpation and percussion of the organs of the thoracic and abdominal cavities, retroperitoneal space, auscultation of the lungs, heart and great vessels are carried out.

Additionally, the therapist prescribes laboratory and instrumental tests, for example, tests of blood, urine, feces and other biological materials, ECG, radiography, ultrasound. Analyzing the collected data, the doctor makes a decision about referring the patient to a specific specialist or prescribing general treatment measures.

It is the therapist who maintains the primary medical documentation - the patient’s outpatient record, which reflects the entire history of the disease, the diagnostic methods used and the prescribed treatment regimens, and also determines the degree of temporary disability and the need to open a sick leave. Mainly participates in medical examinations or medical examinations of the working and non-working population, issues various medical certificates, exemptions and conclusions in the medical record book.

The therapist’s area of ​​competence also includes establishing the need for hospitalization of the patient already at the first stages of the examination.

Where does a therapist train?

Like other professional doctors, this specialist goes through a full cycle of medical education. This training program includes many years of studies at the medical faculty of an institution of higher professional education. Then the future specialist will undergo in-depth training, which allows him to immerse himself in the diagnosis, clinic and treatment of various diseases of the internal organs of a person.

All specialists who work in our clinic have completed a full course of training, which is confirmed by relevant diplomas, certificates and accreditation certificates. In addition, each specialist regularly improves his or her own level of qualifications by attending various courses and seminars. This approach allows you not to lose a high level of professional skill. And this is very important in the age of development of medical technologies, during the introduction into practice of new innovative methods for diagnosing and treating diseases of internal organs.

Organs and parts of the body treated by therapists

A general practitioner must understand a wide range of diseases and their manifestations. Dwelling on the diseases that fall within the competence of a general practitioner, we can highlight the following disruptions:

• organs of the respiratory system;
• heart and blood vessels;
• kidney and urinary system;
• endocrine system;
• circulatory system;
• joints and muscles;
• connective tissues.

Content

• General information
• What does a therapist treat?
• Acute respiratory diseases
• Respiratory system diseases
• Diseases of the cardiovascular system
• Neurological diseases
• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract
• Diseases of the joints, spine and connective tissue
• Systemic diseases
• Pathologies of the urinary system
• Diseases of the hematopoietic system
• When is it necessary to consult a therapist?
• Consultation stages
• Diagnostics
• Treatment

What diseases does a general practitioner treat?

Most diseases, if they do not require surgical intervention by a surgeon, can be diagnosed and observed by a therapist, for example:

• heart failure, anemia, post-infarction conditions;
• nephritis, cystitis, pyelonephritis;
• initial stages of chronic kidney disease;
• thyroid diseases, diabetes, metabolic disorders;
• pancreatitis, gastritis, duodenitis, cholecystitis, biliary dyskinesia and other destructive changes in the gastrointestinal tract;
• arthrosis, arthritis, osteochondrosis, sprains, injuries and bruises;
• pneumonia, bronchitis, bronchial asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, pneumoconiosis;
• ARVI and other respiratory infections of the upper respiratory tract;
• connective tissue dysfunction.

In addition, the general practitioner diagnoses and studies the symptoms that accompany many diseases, namely:

• drowsiness;
• increased irritability;
• chronic fatigue;
• swelling;
• depressive states;
• sleep disorders;
• febrile syndrome;
• rashes on the body of unknown etiology;
• headaches and pain syndromes without clear localization.

Why a therapist is useful

Very often there is a situation when a person experiences general malaise or feels any specific symptoms, there is no understanding of which specialized medical specialist is best to contact. It is in this case that the help of such a specialist as a therapist is needed.

This generalist doctor will not only solve your existing problems, but will also conduct a full examination of the whole body. The result of such an examination may be the identification of any sluggish changes in the initial stages. And this is very important, since any diseases and pathological conditions are better treated in the first stages of their course.

Who is a primary care physician and what does he do?

The local physician is a key link in the system of medical care for the population. This doctor takes a major part in the healing of the entire adult population living in a specific territory - an area that is assigned to him, and, for this reason, local therapists can be called family doctors, because they constantly interact with the same circle of people, are familiar with their living conditions, lifestyle, and previous illnesses. Thanks to this, the local therapist can more quickly and accurately predict the possible causes of certain diseases in a particular person.

The local doctor maintains dispensary records and observation of chronic patients, monitors the timely implementation of preventive measures, vaccinations, carries out primary diagnosis of the disease, prescribes and carries out rehabilitation and preventive measures. After the patient’s recovery, the patient’s condition and ability to work are assessed and he is given a certificate of incapacity for work or a certificate of exemption to be presented at his place of study or work.

Advantages and disadvantages of working as a general practitioner

The profession of a therapist involves a fairly serious workload. This is the need to see a large number of patients per day, the ability to calm down people who are irritated due to illness and - often - waiting in queues for people, mandatory visits to patients at home within their own area, sometimes long working hours, low wages for those who are just starting their career. path in the profession.

The advantages of working as a therapist include its huge demand in the labor market. Specialists of this profile will not have to look for a long time to find a job. A therapist is a respected profession; as one’s qualifications and reputation grow, a specialist can count on career growth and salary increases. Also, if desired, it will be easy for a therapist to undergo retraining and master other specialties, for example, nutritionist, gastroenterologist, etc.

Consultation with a therapist for pregnant women

After the obstetrician-gynecologist, the second most important examination of pregnant women occurs with a therapist. As a general rule, consultation with this doctor occurs at least twice - when registering for pregnancy monitoring, and at the thirtieth week. A woman comes to an appointment with a doctor with ready-made blood tests, urine tests, a coagulogram, blood biochemistry, and she also first needs to undergo an electrocardiography procedure.

During the examination, the doctor collects information about past illnesses, examines medical documentation and test results: this way the doctor can determine the presence of any pathologies or dysfunctions of the body that are not related to the state of pregnancy. If any chronic diseases are detected that may pose a danger to the unborn child, the therapist may decide to hospitalize the woman in a hospital.

When examining a pregnant woman, the therapist must be very attentive to all manifestations indicating the possible presence of diseases or abnormalities in the functioning of organs and systems, because any health problems of the expectant mother can negatively affect the development of the fetus. Another feature of examination and treatment of pregnant women is that women in such a special situation are not allowed to take all medications, and some research methods, for example, radiography, are not recommended for use with them at all.

Various complications during pregnancy, such as anemia, hypertension, toxicosis, hypoxia, require systematic monitoring by a physician and the prescription of appropriate medications approved during pregnancy.

Cost of seeing a therapist

HYRUDOTHERAPY

What symptoms should you consult a therapist for?

In the normal state of a person, the presence of some deviations is sometimes allowed, for example, a rare feeling of fatigue or the appearance of muscle pain after too intense physical activity. However, it is important to understand and distinguish those manifestations and sensations that may be signs of an incipient disease. So, the reasons for contacting a therapist are:

• causeless weight loss;
• chronic fatigue, which occurs constantly over a long period of time;
• increased fatigue, when even the usual everyday stress causes rapid malaise;
• pain of any localization;
• tinnitus, unmotivated weakness, numbness of the limbs;
• characteristic primary signs of diseases, for example, runny nose, sore throat during ARVI;
• constant low-grade fever or sudden increase in temperature;
• changes in the external characteristics of urine and feces;
• decreased concentration and attention.

Other painful conditions, a feeling of heaviness, physical or mental discomfort are also indications for visiting a therapist. You can get an appointment and consultation with a doctor at a clinic or hospital. If the symptoms of the disease are accompanied by a very high temperature or a marked deterioration in health, a doctor is called to the home for an initial examination and decide whether the patient needs to be admitted to a hospital or remain at home for treatment.

Therapeutic treatment methods

Therapeutic treatment of diseases (sometimes called therapy for short) involves treatment without surgery. This type of treatment is based on the use of various groups of drugs. With the help of medications, the therapist influences:

• etiology - the cause of the disease
• pathogenesis – disease mechanism
• symptoms – signs of the disease.

If there is a need for surgical treatment, the therapist seeks help from surgical specialists - an abdominal surgeon, cardiac surgeon, urologist.

Although the therapist must have some basic practical skills in these areas. He is obliged to competently perform a pleural puncture, puncture of large vessels and probing of the stomach. The therapist’s responsibilities also include providing assistance in cases of hypertensive crisis, cerebral stroke, myocardial infarction, and other emergency and life-threatening conditions.

What examination and treatment methods does the therapist use?

In addition to the initial examination and questioning of the patient, to make a diagnosis, the doctor must collect all objective information about the current state of the body. For this purpose, the therapist prescribes some laboratory tests. Based on the results of a general urine test, it is possible to determine the condition of the organs of the urinary system, as well as diseases of other organs and systems, manifested in the detection of certain elements in the urine sediment.

A general blood test shows the number of blood cells, from which one can conclude that there are inflammatory processes of a viral or bacterial nature in the body, as well as blood diseases, allergic reactions or suspicion of malignant processes.

Stool analysis can show the presence of pathogenic microflora, parasites or helminths.

The doctor may also prescribe a blood sugar test if diabetes is suspected.

In addition, therapists use other functional methods for diagnosing diseases:

• ultrasonography;
• radiography;
• electrocardiogram;
• fluorography;
• CT scan;
• digital mammography;
• Magnetic resonance imaging;
• other ways of examining the patient.

Further actions taken by the therapist consist of making a diagnosis, after which the doctor decides whether he can continue further treatment of the patient on his own, or whether it is necessary to refer the patient to a specialist. For example, when identifying ailments that require surgical intervention, the surgeon is directly involved in the treatment process and makes the decision to perform the operation.

The therapist does not prescribe surgical treatment methods; his competence includes the development of a conservative treatment plan with the prescription of appropriate medications in different forms - tablets, syrups, suspensions or solutions for intramuscular and intravenous administration. Also, if indicated, the doctor writes out a referral for physical therapy procedures, such as electrophoresis, magnetic therapy, ultrasound, quartz treatment, exercise therapy and massage.

As a preventative measure, the therapist can determine the order of adult vaccinations.

For patients who have undergone medical or surgical treatment, the doctor prescribes rehabilitation measures, including massage courses, special procedures, physical therapy, and also gives recommendations on limiting physical and work activity, creating a diet, sleep and rest.

How does a therapist work?

According to labor laws, a general practitioner must see no more than five patients per hour. This means that about twelve minutes are allotted for examination and consultation of one person. The work of a therapist, like any doctor, can be divided into two areas: the first is diagnosing pathology, the second is prescribing therapy and monitoring the progress of the disease.

Diagnosis consists of an initial examination, namely, identifying external signs of pathologies, complaints, and accompanying symptoms in the patient. An external examination in a therapist’s office includes studying the skin and mucous membranes of the mouth, eyes, measuring pressure and, as mentioned above, listening to the lungs, palpating the painful area, tapping. An important rule when determining further actions is a thorough study of the medical history, and here the main thing that a specialist must find out is whether a person has a genetic predisposition to any diseases, what diseases he has suffered throughout his life, whether there are chronic diseases. Sometimes these components carry a lot of weight when choosing treatment and making a diagnosis. As a result of the initial examination, the doctor determines methods of further examination and writes out directions for their implementation. As a result of the measures taken, the doctor prescribes appropriate treatment for the patient.

The therapist monitors the condition of patients with chronic diseases that have a long course. His responsibilities include carrying out preventive measures to prevent the progression of the disease. A highly qualified specialist will do everything necessary to improve the patient’s well-being. And for this, he has a wide range of therapeutic methods, which are divided into basic - medicinal and additional, that is, physiotherapeutic.

Taking into account the patient’s condition and the nature of the disease, the therapist determines the time required for treatment, sets a date for a secondary examination and, if required, issues a sick leave. During the secondary examination, the doctor should ask about the patient’s well-being, his tolerance to medications and, if necessary, prescribe diagnostics to determine the degree of influence of the medications on the body and the general condition of the patient.