Extended well-child and well teen physicals

Girl, 11yo, Latin America, examination of chest and pelvic area

I am female. It happened in Latin America, 1990-1999, 11 year old. I was just told that I had my check up appointment with a new dr wasn't any different to other times. My parents drove me to the exam at a regular hospital.

Kids were randomly picked up at some place and led to the exam. I was taken to hospital like a big general hospital looked quite modern, and Pediatric part was friendly and sort of welcoming.

Åreparations: I was not allowed to eat dome time before the exam. I was given a gown and kept underwear on in the time I stayed awake. The staff took my clothes of some time before the anesthesia had made its effect.

They placed me upon an advanced surgical table. I was placed to lay on my back with my legs flexed up, spread and mounted upon two devices. I was also placed to lay on my left side. I got IVs tubes into blood vessels, in an arm. I got a device on a finger or a toe to measure pulse and oxygen in my blood. I got electrodes on my cheast. I got a tube or wire in through my urethra.

I got anesthesia gas to breath in through a mask. I got some numbing and lubricating cream injected into my urinary opening. The anesthesia made me relaxed, but I was conscious. I was mostly awake during the procedure, despite anesthesia given. I was very dizzy and couldn't focus on anything really just heard and saw people doing things and had some feelings

Exams with external equipment: They took chest x-ray pictures. They used electrodes at my chest to record body functions. They examined my genitals with an ultrasound device.

Internal inspections: They inspected the inside of my urethra and bladder with a scope. They used a speculum in my vagina. They took specimens from my vagina with a tube. They inspected my vagina with a scope. They inspected me through my vagina with an ultrasound probe. The doctor explored my vagina with a finger.

The doctor explored my anus with a finger. I remember quite a strong burning sore sensation lasting quite a while but couldn't really say or do anything.

Arrangements after the exam: I had electrodes on my body. I had catheter into my bladder. I just lay some time in a bed to recover. I lay naked under a blanket after the exam. I remember a nurse telling me I did really well and she took tbr catheter out and helped me dress. Then I went out with my parents.

The school I attended I attended ordinary daytime school.

COMMENTS This seems to be an extention of the anual well-child physical that is typically done at age 11 for girls and at age 12 for boys. These extended exams have been mandatory for some time in certain communities. In some other communities it seems to be recommended to the parents. In this case it seems to have been recommended and some of the parents opted for it. But these extended exams are neasrly never talked about in public media.

These exams is actually useful to detect fairly problems in the urinary system, genitals, digestive system, heart and lungs that can lead to symptoms and more serious problems later.

It is however a typical behavior of the health authorities not to tell the child what is to happen, and probably the parents did not get full information either, which is not good.

The girl probably got anesthesia with N2O-gas which gives relaxation, but let the kid stay awake. She possibly also got some anestetics into the blood vesels, possibly midazolam. A purpose of this anesthesia is to hinder memory, but this does not always work, at least not totally. This kind of secrecy is not a good thing.

Sometimes full general anesthesia is used during these exams, but this gives risks. The right ting to do is to give as little and simple anestesia as possible, just enough for the kid to feel comfortable, and without wiping out memory.

It seems like the electrodes on the chest was used to take EKG to check heart function, and also for monitoring during the exam.

Based on the answar they seem to have inspected all parts of her genitals, urethra and bladder. They possibly inspected all the way up to each kidney.

The catehter was probably inserted just after the urogenital exam.

Even though she do not record it very specifically, they also probably inspected her anus and lower colon with a flexibla sigmoidoscope. This was probably done after the urogenital exam when she lay on her side and she felt a burning sensation.