Are Routine Checkups Necessary? : The Shinawatra 's Employee Study
KIERTIJAI BHURIPANYO M.D.*
ONGKARN RUANGRATANAAMPORN M.D.*
CHARN SRIRATANASATHA VORN M.D.*
CHARUWAN KANGKAGATE, MS (Biostat)*
W ANDEE ROCHANASIRI, B.Nursing
SUPHACHAI CHAITHIRAPHAN M.D.*
WATTANA LEOWATTANA M.D.**
NITHI MAHANONDA M.D.*
CHUNHAKASEM CHOTINAIWA TTARAKUL M.D.*
SURANK AKANIROJ, B.Nursing, MBA*
WIPHA WIN W A TTHANAPRAKARNCHAI, B.Nursing*
Affiliation : * Her Majesty Cardiac Center,
** Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University. Bangkok 10700.
Thailand.
AbstractThe authors perfonned a survey in 3,615 Shinawatra employees aged 18-60 years to deter-
mine the abnonnalities found with routine checkup. The annual checkup included: history taking.
anthropometric measurement, physical examination, complete blood count, urine analysis, chest
roentgenography, blood chemistry (fasting blood glucose, BUN, creatinine, uric acid, AST/AL T.
cholesterol, triglyceride and HDL-cholesterol). The prevalence of abnonnalities with management
change detected by complete blood count, urine analysis was low and we did not recommend the
routine use of complete blood count and urine analysis. The prevalence of hypertension was more
common in males and the prevalence increased sharply after the age of 25 years in males and 40
years in females. The prevalence of abnormalities of BUN, creatinine (both males and females)
and uric acid (in females) was very low. There was high prevalence of high AST/ALT which
suggested hepatitis in our population, and the prevalence was more common in males beginning
at a young age. Diabetes mellitus was more common in males especially after the age of 45 years.
Chest roentgenography abnonnalities were found in 9.4 per cent and the prevalence of abnor-
malities increased with age and was common after the age of 44 years. Most of the abnonnalities
found by chest roentgenography were pulmonary infiltration and cardiomegaly.
The authors' findings did not recommend the routine use of complete blood count, urine
analysis, fasting BUN and creatinine. We recommend routine blood pressure measurement in males
aged 25 years or more and in females aged 40 years or more. We suggest routine blood cholesterol
measurement in both sexes, blood triglyceride measurement in males aged 25 years or more and
fasting blood sugar tests in males aged more than 44 years, chest roentgenography in males and
females after the age of 45 years.
Keywords : Routine Checkup, Physical Examination, Blood Chemistry, Chest Roentgeno-
graphy
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