Hot Medical Diagnosis & Procedures How-Tos
How To: Anatomize the human head, neck and skull
This is a special four-part series on the human head, neck and skull. Medical students can greatly benefit from watch this anatomy video series. Dr. Gita Sinha "dissects" all of the information pertaining to the head and neck. Dr. Sinha is Assistant Professor for the Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology at Dalhouse University. Each of these videos cover a different topic:
How To: Use proper draping techniques during a gynecology exam
In Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN), doctors deal specifically with the female reproductive organs, which means a lot of visual inspection of the vaginal area. Whether you're a doctor, surgeon, nurse, or nursing assistant, knowing how to properly drape a patient is detrimental to the patient feeling protected and secure with the hospital staff, along with having some privacy. This video will cover different types of draping techniques.
How To: Perform a general shoulder exam on a patient
In this video lesson for doctors, you will learn how to do a shoulder examination. First, you'll get a review of the procedures for evaluating any joint, and then jump into the basics of inspection of the shoulder, then learn palpation, and range of motion. This is a very general shoulder examination, meant to serve as a refresher course for those medical doctors or medical students who already know the exam procedure.
How To: Perform a brief neurological exam on a patient
A brief neurologic examination includes six sections: 1) mental status exam, 2) testing cranial nerves, 3) sensation exam, 4) testing strength, 5) deep tendon reflexes exam, and 6) coordination exam. Eve Bargmann, M.D., shows doctors how to perform this neurological examination on a patient. You will need to do a full neuralgic exam (not in video) if any abnormalities are found. But this is just a brief screening exam during a general physical exam.
How To: Perform a full abdomen exam on a patient
This video will teach doctor and medical students how to perform a full abdomen examination. John D. Gazewood, MD, MSPH, will show you the whole process, from the first steps of inspecting the abdomen, looking for abdominal contour and symmetry, to auscultation, percussion, and palpation of the abdomen. Some common findings during the inspection phase of the exam could be scars, striae, colors, jaundice, and prominent veins.
How To: Examine the heart and blood vessels (cardiac exam)
Eve Bargmann, M.D., will teach doctors in this video how to perform an examination of the patient's heart and blood vessels. As with any examination, you should start out with inspection. Start off with the jugular venous pulse, then examine the heart by palpation and auscultation with bell and diaphragm of the stethoscope, and lastly examine the blood vessels.
How To: Perform a full cardiac exam on a patient (heart exam)
In this video, doctors can learn how to perform a full cardiac examination on a patient. The very first thing a doctor should do is visually inspect the patient, because there's a lot that can be gained by simply examining by eye. You'll want to carefully examine the respiratory pattern of the patient, the nature of their precordium, the anterior part of their chest over the heart. Feeling the pulse is also necessary when starting out this heart exam. To learn more, watch the full video.
How To: Perform a full chest exam on a patient
When you're examining a patient's chest, you start out by simply looking at them— by inspection. It will be hard to count the respirations visually on a healthy person's chest because it moves so little, but in a patient with respiratory distress, the chest might be overactive and strain may show in the neck muscles. Eve Bargmann, M.D., will also teach doctors about palpation, percussion, and auscultation of the chest and back.
How To: Perform a Full HEENT Exam on a Patient
After performing a Vital Signs examination on a patient, usually, the next step for a doctor is performing the HEENT.
How To: Perform a lower extremity exam on a patient
In this medical video, learn the process of examining the lower extremity of the body. See demonstrations of how you inspect the lower extremity, how you palpate and then perform passive range of motion of the hip, knee and ankle. John D. Gazewood, MD, MSPH, will also teach doctors special maneuvers to help examine a knee injury. With any type of musculoskeletal exam, you're looking for things like deformity, swelling, and changes in coloration.
How To: Perform an upper extremity exam on a patient
This video will show doctors the process of examining the upper extremity of the body. When you exam the extremities or any joints, it's good to have a systematic approach to how you will examine each joint. Learn about the inspection of each joint, range of motion, palpation and strength testing from Eve Bargmann, M.D. When examining the upper extremity, you should start with the shoulder and work you way down to the elbow, then the wrist, and lastly, the hand.
How To: Recognize and prevent poisoning in yourself and others
Poisoning can happen to both children and adults, and is one of the most preventable forms of illness that exists. Poisoning can sneak up on your in various ways including household products, expired medications, foods and even alcohol. So, take the tips in this clip from Dr. Savant and avoid this unnecessary illness in your household.
How To: Prevent and treat heart disease in women
In this clip, Dr. Savant gives you information and tips on how to prevent or recognize heart disease in females. It is important to remember that heart disease affects women, too, and should not be overlooked. Check out this clip and be prepared.
How To: Treat and prevent MRSA infection
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, otherwise known as MRSA, is a bacterial staph
How To: Diagnose, Prevent, and Treat Shin Splints
Shin splints are one of the most common, stubborn, and misunderstood injuries affecting athletes of every age, gender, and sport. This video features a doctor explaining what exactly a shin splint is as well as how to prevent, diagnose, and treat them properly. It turns out that shin splints are actually menial tibial stress syndrome, or MTSS. Try saying that five times fast.
How To: Perform an open back ankle tape job
Going into sports medicine? Taping up an injured ankle will help keep the ankle supported and on its way to mend. In this video, learn how to perform an open back ankle tape job with these step by step instructions.
How To: Properly use a home HIV testing kit
HIV is a sad reality these days, so why live in fear that you could be infected? Follow along with this tutorial and learn exactly how to use a home HIV test. This test takes less than 10 minutes and is incredibly important. If you can not afford or can not see a doctor for whatever reason, this may be the option for you.
How To: Draw blood with three different phlebotomy techniques
Drawing blood is only responsibility for hospital nurses, but a very important one, so knowing the proper procedure is up to you to master. You can only become efficient at taking blood samples by practicing, but you should also know all of the phlebotomy methods for extracting blood cultures. This interactive video module will help familiarize you with the phlebotomy medical procedures (three different versions), but is not meant to be your sole method of instruction— always ask for supervis...
How To: Obtain blood cultures from cubital and cephalic veins
One of the key tasks of a nurse is being able to take blood samples, and the only way to get good at the procedure is by practice. Knowing the steps to drawing blood (to go to the lab) is key to both yours and your patient's safety. This interactive video module will help familiarize you with the phlebotomy medical procedure, but is not meant to be your sole method of instruction— always ask for supervision in performing a procedure if you've never done one before, or have little experience.
How To: Insert a peripheral IV catheter to administer fluids
IV's are used on patients to either administer fluids or medicines, and for a nurse, it's the number one task performed on the job in a hospital. Knowing the proper procedure for peripheral intravenous catheter insertion is a must. This interactive video module will help familiarize you with the medical procedure, but is not meant to be your sole method of instruction— always ask for supervision in performing a procedure if you've never done one before, or have little experience.
How To: Insert a peripheral venous access catheter for fluids
Not every nurse can get an IV every time, that's why it's important to stay in practice for the proper technique used for inserting a peripheral IV. This is a common medical procedure that all fields related to medicine should know. Even the soldiers in the military are taught how to insert an IV — every soldiers, not just the medics.
How To: Do a urinary catheterization procedure on a male
One of the hardest things a man can go through in life is a trip to the hospital, especially when he knows he's going to need a catheter. It's every man's worst fear. But for a nurse, it's necessary knowledge. Learning the male urinary catheterization procedure hands-on is difficult due to the urgency involved in patient care, so this video aims to prepare nurses so they can learn and stay fluent with the proper urinary catheterization technique of a male patient.
How To: Do a urinary catheterization procedure on a female
In many situations, learning proper medical procedures is difficult due to the urgency involved in patient care, so this video aims to prepare nurses so they can learn and stay fluent with the proper urinary catheterization of a female patient.
How To: Become an Anesthesiologist Easily
Becoming an anesthesiologist can be a tough and difficult task. They are required to take care of patients and provide pain relief when needed. During surgery, these people are given the responsibility to monitor certain functions to ensure the safety of the patient. So in this tutorial, find out what it takes to become an anesthesiologist easily. Enjoy!
How To: Treat ringworm
Have you ever gotten ringworm? It's pretty disgusting. It's caused by an overgrowth of a fungus. Learn how to treat ringworm from this professional dermatologist. The best treatment you should start with is an over-the-counter anti-fungal. If you don't see any improvement with daily use after two weeks, it's probably time to go call your dermatologist.
HowTo: Diagnose Anemia With a Salad Spinner
Another example of outstanding resourcefulness and ingenuity in the medical community (see earlier this week: Blood Sucking Plunger Could Heal Millions).
How To: Know When You're in Labor
Dr. Keith Eddleman explains in this video tutorial on how a woman can really tell when she is going into labor. Sometimes, it's hard for a first-time mom to naturally know when she's going into the process.
How To: Get pink eye from your makeup
Carolyn Dickerson teaches viewers about the connection between pink eye and makeup! Your pink eye may first start off and seem like a cold in your eye! Sometimes you may not know which pink eye you have. If the week progresses and your pink eye does not get any better, then you do not have a viral pink eye! It will continue to get worse if your eye does not drain properly! First, you can use sulfur based drops but this may be too much. You can also use a oral antibiotic! Swelling, draining an...
How To: Take an arterial blood gas sample
This medical how to video demonstrates how to take an arterial blood gas sample. The purpose or arterial gas sampling is to assess the patient's respiratory status as well as the acid/base balance in their blood. To perform this medical procedure you will need the following instruments: protective eye wear, gloves, alcohol, iodine, arterial blood gas sampling kit, gauze and a bag of ice. Please not that this video is intended for medical professionals only.
How To: Perform a general eye exam on a patient
If you're a medical student, you'll learn a lot from this video lesson on examining your patient's eyes. If the patient is having trouble seeing, like double vision, blurred vision, pain or any other problem, a proper eye examination is detrimental to properly diagnosing and treating him/her. You can also determine and potential problems which may arise bases on your family history. Watch to see the complete procedure outlined, which is great for any med student or doctor. Even nurses can ben...
How To: Perform a general neurological exam on a patient
As a doctor, sometimes it will be necessary to perform a neurological examination of your patient to rule out any neurological disorders. Your objective is to identify abnormalities in the nervous system, to differentiate peripheral from central nervous system lesions, and to establish internal consistency. This is a great video less that outlines the complete neurological exam procedure. It's great for medical students or doctors, and even nursing students can learn a thing or two.
How To: Perform a general abdominal exam on a patient
Any patient with pain in the abdominal area will require you to perform an abdominal examination, and this video lesson outlines in great detail, how to perform a general abdomen exam. This is great for any medical student or up-and-coming doctor — even nursing students could benefit from this exam procedure. You'll learn about inspection of the abs, auscultation, percussion, palpation, the liver, the aorta, and the spleen. After watching the full procedure, you should be able to identify the...
How To: Perform a HEENT exam (head, ears, eyes, nose & throat)
Most won't know what the acronym HEENT stand for, but if you're a medical student, doctor or nurse, you know that it stand for head, ears, eyes, nose and throat. To perform a HEENT examination properly, you must know all the steps and techniques to diagnose your patient. This video lesson will outline the examination procedure, from start to finish, and shows you general palpation techniques and examining the temporomandibular joint, superficial lymph nodes, thyroid gland, eyes, ears, nose, m...
How To: Perform a cardiovascular exam on a patient
The key to being a good doctor is great patient care and thoroughness, and those are exactly the skills you will learn in this video lesson, as you learn to perform a cardiovascular examination on your patient. This is a great, step-by-step resource for the proper examination procedure. Every medical student should know these techniques, and nursing students could benefit from this knowledge, too. Every cardiovascular exam should include inspection of the pulse, blood pressure, carotid pulsat...
How To: Perform a general chest exam on a patient
There's no better way to learn then by visual media, and that's what makes this video lesson on performing a chest exam so great. It's perfect for any future doctor, and great for nursing students to understand the proper procedure for examining a patient's chest. Medical students can easily learn how to perform a general chest exam, because ever step and technique is outlined and shown. A chest examination is very important to determining what's wrong with your patient, and you will be able ...
How To: Perform a musculoskeletal exam on a patient
Whether your training to be a doctor or a nurse, there is no doubt that this video lesson will help you better understand the procedure for musculoskeletal examinations. Musculoskeletal exams rely exclusively on inspection and palpation and tests using a combination of those techniques. The main purpose of this exam is to identify in your patient any signs of musculoskeletal disease, by way of pain, redness, swelling, warmth, deformity, and loss of function. Watch this video to see the entire...
How To: Examine a patient for vital signs
Any medical student could benefit from this video lesson, whether you're training to be a doctor or a nurse. The very first step to finding out what's wrong with your patient is examining him/her for their vital signs. You must check the patient's pulse, respirations, blood pressure, and know how to use every kind of sphygmomanometer. To see the entire examination procedure, perfect for nursing students, watch the video to see how to examine a patient for vital signs, and refer to the steps b...
How To: Control your hyper tension
Is work, the recession, life in general stressing you out? Maybe all these stresses are causing hyper tension. This video shows you what you have to do to control your hyper tension. Some alternatives, as well as symptoms so you can better understand and in turn control your hyper tension and reduce stress.
How To: Check yourself for testicular cancer
21st Century Boy demonstrates how to check yourself for testicular cancer. After a warm bath or shower, lift up your leg and rest it on the edge of the bathtub. Lift up your right testicle with your left hand and take the thumb, forefinger and index finger of your right hand and check the testicle. Switch hands and repeat the process for the other testicle. There should be a soft lump at the front and the back of the testicle. There should also be a smooth, firm tube running up the side. If y...
How To: Check for a fever accurately
Feeling someone's forehead when they are sick is an outdated way to check for a fever. Follow along with this video and learn how to take an accurate reading so you know whether or not to seek medical help.