Internal Medicine Consultation, Here's What You Should Know

Internal medicine consultation is an examinationn done for knowing condition orinterference with system and internal organ body. The results of the consultation are used to plan the appropriate type of treatment.

Internal medicine is a medical specialty that studies diseases related to the performance and function of organs in the human body. Doctors who specialize in internal medicine are called internal medicine specialists (Sp.PD) or internists.

The main purpose of internal medicine consultation is to diagnose, treat, and prevent various types of internal medicine. The age range of patients treated by internists is 18 years and over.

Types of Internal Medicine

Internal medicine specialists are divided into several divisions (subspecialties), according to the system or organ of the body they treat. The following is an explanation of each subspecialty along with examples of the diseases it treats:

  • Allergy immunology (Sp.PD-KAI)

    Allergy immunology is a branch of internal medicine that deals with allergies and disorders of the immune system. Examples of diseases treated by an immunology allergy doctor are asthma, urticaria or hives, autoimmune diseases, and food allergies or drug allergies.

  • Gastroenterohepatology (Sp.PD-KGEH)

    Gastroenterohepatology is a branch of internal medicine that deals with disorders of the digestive system and liver. Some of the diseases treated by gastroenterohepatology doctors, namely gastritis, gastric ulcers, hepatitis, and pancreatitis.

  • Geriatrics (Sp.PD-KGer)

    Geriatrics is a branch of internal medicine that deals with medical disorders experienced by elderly patients due to the aging process. Conditions treated by geriatric doctors include hypertension, dementia, and osteoarthritis.

  • Renal hypertension (Sp.PD-KGH)

    This is a branch of internal medicine that deals with disorders of the kidneys and high blood pressure. A number of diseases treated by hypertensive kidney doctors are chronic or acute kidney failure, urinary tract infections, and hypertension.

  • Medical oncology hematology (Sp.PD-KHOM)

    This subspecialty is a branch of internal medicine that deals with cancer of the blood. Diseases treated by medical oncology hematology doctors, including leukemia and lymphoma.

  • Cardiology (Sp.PD-KKV)

    Cardiology is a branch of internal medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and blood vessels. Heart failure, coronary heart disease, and heart valve disease are some of the diseases treated by cardiologists.

  • Endocrine metabolism (Sp.PD-KEMD)

    Endocrine metabolism is a branch of internal medicine that deals with disorders of metabolic processes and the body's hormone system. Some of the diseases treated by metabolic endocrine doctors are diabetes, thyroid hormone disorders, and high cholesterol.

  • Psychosomatics (Sp.PD-KPsi)

    This is a branch of science that deals with the types of internal diseases that arise or are aggravated by mental disorders. Diseases treated by psychosomatic doctors include: irritable bowel syndrome, peptic ulcers, and asthma.

  • Pulmonology (Sp.PD-KP)

    Pulmonology is a branch of internal medicine that deals with disorders of the respiratory system, from the windpipe to the lungs. Tuberculosis, pneumonia, and bronchitis are some examples of diseases treated by pulmonologists.

  • Rheumatology (Sp.PD-KR)

    Rheumatology is a branch of internal medicine that deals with joint disorders and autoimmune conditions. A number of diseases treated by rheumatologists are rheumatoid arthritis, tendonitis, and lupus.

  • Tropical infection (Sp.PD-KPTI)

    Tropical infection is a branch of internal medicine that deals with various types of diseases or infections that generally occur in the tropics. Tropical infection doctors can treat diseases, such as malaria, elephantiasis (filariasis), and dengue fever.

Indications for Internal Medicine Consultation

Internal medicine consultations need to be done immediately for patients who experience symptoms of internal medicine, such as wounds that are difficult to heal (diabetes), blood in the urine (chronic kidney failure), or chest pain (coronary heart disease).

Even if you don't experience any symptoms, it's a good idea to have regular internal medicine consultations. This aims to determine the condition of the organs and detect early disturbances that may be suffered, so that treatment can be given as soon as possible.

In addition, this consultation can also be carried out before surgery with the following objectives:

  • Detect co-morbidities or risk factors that can lead to complications after surgery
  • Optimizing the patient's condition before surgery
  • Check and treat complications that may occur after surgery

Internal Medicine Consultation Warning

When carrying out the examination, it is recommended for the patient to be accompanied by family or relatives. This can help the patient remember the complaints and symptoms experienced, and understand the results of the examination.

In addition, the patient should wear loose and easy-to-open clothing to facilitate the examination. After the consultation, the patient may also be advised to undergo additional investigations, such as blood tests, urine tests, or imaging tests (radiology).

Depending on the conclusion of the doctor, the patient may be referred to another specialist. This is natural because many diseases have similar or overlapping symptoms. Patients may need to consult two or more specialist doctors at once.

Before Internal Medicine Consultation

Generally, there are several things that need to be prepared before a patient does an internal medicine consultation, namely:

  • Take notes about the symptoms experienced

    To ensure that all symptoms are conveyed properly, it is advisable for the patient to keep a record of his condition from the first day the symptoms appear. Patients can also write down a list of questions or concerns that they want to confirm with the doctor, as these may be forgotten during the consultation.

  • Bring medical history records

    Patients should bring all necessary medical history records, both current or past illnesses and allergies. The results of past examinations, such as X-rays or laboratory test results, can also facilitate the consultation process.

  • Notify the doctor of drugs that are currently or have been taken

    Patients can bring the drugs they are currently taking or notes on the list of drugs they have ever taken, both medical drugs and herbal products, to complete the information needed by the doctor.

  • Bring a letter of reference

    If the patient has a referral letter from a general practitioner or other specialist, the patient needs to bring the letter with him at the time of the consultation. The referral letter can be an initial description for the internal medicine doctor regarding the patient's condition, treatment instructions, and further treatment.

Internal Medicine Consultation Procedure

The examination carried out by an internal medicine specialist depends on the overall condition of the patient. The following are examinations that can be carried out by a doctor in an internal medicine consultation:

Health history check

Medical history examination is the earliest stage of examination in the internal medicine consultation process. At this stage, the doctor will ask the patient a number of questions, such as:

  • Complaints about the current health problems experienced by the patient
  • The patient's medical history, including all health problems that the patient has suffered
  • Treatment therapy that has been undertaken, surgery that has been passed, as well as complications or trauma experienced by the patient
  • History of drug use, including drugs that are currently or have been consumed, both prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, and herbal products
  • Family medical history, including various health problems that are or have been experienced by the patient's parents, siblings, or children
  • Lifestyle and social life, including smoking, alcohol consumption, drug use, work, pet ownership, and hobbies

Physical examination

Physical examination is performed to detect abnormalities in the patient's body. As a first step, the doctor will usually weigh and measure height.

After that, the doctor can check the patient's vital signs. This vital sign examination includes measurement of blood pressure, heart rate, blood oxygen levels, respiratory rate, and body temperature.

Follow-up physical examination

A follow-up physical examination is an examination of a number of body parts to detect abnormalities or disorders that may be experienced by the patient. Parts of the body that may be examined during this examination include:

  • Head and neck

    The doctor will examine the eyes, nose, ears, lymph nodes, thyroid, and neck veins. The condition of the throat, tonsils, teeth, and gums can also be checked on a head and neck examination.

  • Heart

    The doctor will use a stethoscope to detect several conditions, such as an irregular heartbeat or abnormal heart sounds.

  • Lungs

    The doctor will pay attention to the patient's breathing movements and check the breath sounds in the patient's lungs using a stethoscope.

  • Stomach

    The doctor will perform an examination to detect the location of the pain, the size of the liver, spleen, and the presence of abdominal fluid by pressing the patient's abdomen. The doctor will also listen to bowel sounds using a stethoscope.

  • Movement member

    The doctor will examine the arms and legs to see the quality of the pulse, blood circulation, and nerve function. The quality of the joints can also be checked at this stage.

  • Nervous and motor system

    The doctor will check the patient's motor function (ability to move) and sensory function (ability to feel), muscle strength, reflexes, and balance.

  • Skin

    The doctor will examine the condition of the skin and nails, because the condition of the skin and nails can indicate disorders or diseases in other parts of the body.

Laboratory examination

This examination is done by taking samples of blood, urine, or other types of body fluids for further analysis in the laboratory. Some types of laboratory tests are:

  • blood test

    Blood tests are performed to detect the number of blood cells (complete blood count), chemicals in the blood, blood sugar, cholesterol, liver function, thyroid hormone, kidney function, and blood clotting levels.

  • Urine test (urinalysis)

    A urine test is done by checking the appearance of urine, the level of urine concentration, and the content of chemicals in the urine to detect various disorders, such as urinary tract infections, kidney disease, and diabetes.

  • Other body fluid checks

    This examination, for example, is an examination of phlegm and feces (feces). Sputum examination is done to detect infections that may occur in the lungs or respiratory tract. Meanwhile, stool examination is carried out to detect abnormalities or disorders that occur in the patient's digestive system.

  • Biopsy

    The test is done by taking a sample of body tissue for later analysis in the laboratory.

radiology

Radiology is done to see a picture of the condition of the organs in the body. There are several types of radiological examinations, namely:

  • Photo Rontgen

    This type of medical examination uses X-rays to produce pictures of the inside of the patient's body.

  • ultrasound

    Ultrasound is a type of medical examination that uses high-frequency sound waves to capture images of soft tissues in the body, such as organs and blood vessels.

  • CT scan

    CT scan is a type of examination that uses a computer and a rotating X-ray machine, so that it can produce images of the inside of the body from various angles in more detail than X-rays. CT scans can be used to visualize different parts of the body, such as the head, shoulders, spine, abdomen, knees, and chest.

  • MRI

    This type of examination uses a magnetic field media and radio waves to produce detailed images or three-dimensional images of the organs and tissues in the patient's body. MRI machines are generally large and shaped like a tube.

After Internal Medicine Consultation

After the patient undergoes a consultation and examination, the internal medicine specialist will review all the information that has been obtained. From this review, the doctor can determine a diagnosis and a treatment plan for the patient. The therapy plan can take the form of:

  • Treatment plan, either inpatient or outpatient
  • Types of drugs that need to be used
  • Medical actions that need to be taken, such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, physiotherapy, or dialysis

ComplicationsInternal Medicine Consultation

Internal medicine consultation is a safe and important procedure for the patient's health. Even so, several types of examinations in the internal medicine consultation process are still at risk of causing complications.

Therefore, if the patient feels something abnormal after undergoing an internal medicine consultation, such as pain and bruising on the part of the body where the needle was inserted to take a blood sample, see a doctor again so that it can be treated as soon as possible.