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The exam table in a doctor's office or clinic is the last thing that people worry about; even if that's where you lead the patients you see each day. Of course, its ominous presence in the examination room gives patients cause to worry, but it's generally a small part of their doctor's visit. However, some of the worry and the discomfort of exam tables can be alleviated by choosing the best one for the office's needs and overall patient population. After all, the exam table does help the doctor find out what's wrong with each patient.

What the Exam Table Does:

The patient who enters the examination room needs a place to lay or to sit until the doctor can come in to visit. The exam table provides them with a sterile and comfortable area to do so. With a piece of sterile paper, the patient can lie on top of an unused surface, thus not contaminating the surface or picking up any of the germs from previous patients. Exam tables can be used for general examinations or they can be used for specialty exams like a pelvic examination. By contorting into different positions, the doctor can more easily review the systems of the patient and discern whether or not something is wrong.

Special Features to Consider:

Many examination tables will come with special features to help the table itself become adaptable to any patient and any appointment type. For example, the smaller or larger patient can easily get onto the table with the help of a step that can be raised or lowered accordingly. In addition, a pneumatic backrest can help the patient find their comfortable position, while also moving the patient's body within reach of the doctor's arms. The stirrups can be pulled out of the base of the exam table to help the female patient get ready for their pelvic exam and pap smear. In addition, there are numerous drawers available to help with storage and to keep the examination moving along without the doctor having to leave the room for a certain instrument.

Settling the Patient:

The truth is that even if nothing is wrong, patients aren't always comfortable on the exam table. So, many exam tables now come in a variety of calming colors to help make the room more home-like. Soothing colors like blues and pastels are popular as they tend to lower the blood pressure of the patient, both literally and figuratively. In addition, warming drawers in the base of the table can help to keep instruments warm so that when these pieces touch the patient's body, the patient isn't getting a sharp cold sensation ' this is especially important for children or during pelvic exam.

Exam tables help to bring the patient up to the level of the doctor, thus preventing back strain for the physician after repeated bending over to take a pulse or check a lump. And with a variety of additional features, the exam table can also help a patient feel more comfortable and less nervous about