Head-to-Toe Health Assessment - Advanced Health Assessment

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMT

This episode covers the head-to-toe health assessment as one continuous conversation — subjective history flowing into the objective exam, system by system, on a routine pre-employment physical where the patient denies acute concerns. Charlie and Morgan work through vitals, medication reconciliation, health maintenance, HEENT, chest, heart, abdomen, musculoskeletal, neuro, and skin.

In this episode, we cover:

1. The head-to-toe map: how subjective history, meds, allergies, maintenance, family, social and mental health flow into the objective exam

2. Reading vitals and the general survey as a baseline, and what "no acute distress" does and does not buy you

3. Medication reconciliation done properly: daily versus PRN, last-use timing, and allergies that change what you look for

4. Health maintenance as part of the assessment rather than an add-on — Pap, eye, dental, PPD, and the immunisations that were not current

5. HEENT in detail, including mild retinopathic changes in the right eye alongside 20/20 corrected acuity

6. Respiratory and cardiovascular findings in an asymptomatic patient, plus in-office spirometry numbers

7. Abdominal, musculoskeletal and neuro exams, including decreased monofilament sensation on both plantar surfaces

8. Skin, hair and nails: facial pustules, hirsutism, and acanthosis nigricans on the posterior neck — and why the foot and eye findings belong in the same note

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

03:51 Meds, allergies, asthma, and sexual-health context

05:44 Family, social, mental health, and an intentional weight loss

07:40 HEENT, thyroid, lungs, and quiet spirometry

09:34 Abdomen, MSK strength, neuro coordination — then the feet

11:27 Skin clues: pustules, facial hair, acanthosis nigricans

15:21 Family history as background music; fundus and monofilament

17:13 Heart, belly, neuro — and decreased plantar sensation

20:23 Lightning round and takeaway

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Head-to-Toe Health Assessment - Advanced Health Assessment