Comprehensive Annual Medical Exam Recommendations for First Responders

This yearly examination with your physician should include the following:

Helpful Tip

Download a copy of the Comprehensive Annual Medical Exam for First Responders to print and take to your primary care physician.

Medical exam

  • Detailed history of any health symptoms. Be sure to tell your provider about any headaches, skin rashes, weakness, cognitive dysfunction or intestinal or respiratory problems.
  • Physical exam that’s a complete head-to-toe assessment of your cardiovascular, pulmonary, intestinal, urinary, neurological and musculoskeletal systems as well as checks of your skin, thyroid, mouth, breasts, testes and lymph nodes.
  • Vital signs and measures including your weight, height, body fat, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and heart and respiratory rate.
  • Laboratory tests that include:
    • Blood tests such as CMP, CBC with differential, lipid panel, TSH, hCRP and HbA1c.
    • Urinalysis for pH, glucose, ketones, protein, blood, bilirubin and microscopic assessment for WBC, RBC, WBC casts, RBC casts and crystals
    • Serum and urine immunofixation
  • Pulmonary function testing with spirometry
  • Stress electrocardiogram (EKG) with the V02 calculated
  • Chest x-ray every 5 years
  • Cancer screenings that include:
    • Digital rectal exam (men)
    • Cervical exam and Pap test (women)
    • Breast exam (women)
    • Stool test such as fecal Immunochemical test (FIT)
    • Colonoscopy at age 45 or earlier depending on family history
    • Mammogram at age 40 or earlier depending on family history
    • Low dose CT (LDCT) scan depending on your age, smoking history, FEV1 measurement, history of obstructive lung disease and pneumonia and family history of lung cancer. For first responders, your occupational exposures combined with risk factors, symptoms and a change in lung function can warrant a LDCT.