If you have Czech public health insurance, this pays for a regular preventive examination with your GP every 2 years.

What can you expect during this examination? General internal examination including:

• Skin examination - Recommended if you are above 40. If you have a suspicious mole, you will be sent for examination to a speciliast.
• Prostate gland examination - Recommended for men above the age of 40.
• Cardiovascular risk assessment - A regular part of preventive examination. If you have cardiovascular risk factors, the doctor will inform you about them and try to suggest how to manage them (for example smoking, obesity, lack of physical activity, dietary problems…)
• Per rectum examination - Recommended if you are above 40.

Laboratory tests

• Urine test
• A cholesterol test is covered by public health insurance at the ages of 18, 40 and 60. If it is abnormal and you have to take medication, checking is more frequent.
• Blood sugar measurement is covered by public health insurance every 2 years after the age of 45. If it is abnormal and you have to take medication, checking is more frequent.
• Other laboratory tests are prescribed by the doctor according to your specific health issues and based on the findings of the physical examination

Stool examination for hidden bleeding

This examination is easy. You have to collect a small amount of stool over the course of three days. This stool is put in a special diagnostic envelope, which is available from the doctor. If there is no stool one day, no problem, you continue the following day. After collection you bring the envelope to the surgery, gives it to the nurse and she tests it on the spot.

Before and during the test you are advised not to consume large amounts of the following foods, which can influence the test:

Cauliflower, Broccoli, Radish, Horse radish, Beans, Bananas, Apples, Citrus fruit, Beetroot, Mushrooms, Vitamin C (also tablets, multivitamins…), large amounts of red meat, large amounts of meat products and following the medication:

• Vitamin C (high amounts in grammes)
• NSA, non steroidal painkillers (Ibuprofen, Diklofenak, …)
• Aspirin (salicylic acid)

If you are not sure about the dietary requirements or about process of collecting the stool, please discussing it again either with the doctor or nurse. Our surgery also has a different variety of stool test, a so called immunochemical test. It is more comfortable for the patient. It’s not necessary to collect stool, it is done from one portion of stool only and there are no dietary requirements. A stool examination once a year is covered by public insurance for all patients above the age of 50. From the age of 55 you are advised to continue with these tests every 2 years or to undergo colonoscopy (a bowel examination with an optical device, which enables the examination of the mucus membrane of the large intestine). A colonoscopy is always recommended if the stool test for hidden bleeding is positive. Younger people can also undergo these examination, but these are not covered by public health insurance.

Vaccination checking

In the Czech Republic only one regular vaccination (against tetanus) is required in adulthood. Vaccination is necessary every 10 – 15 years. For other vaccination options in our surgery see the section on vaccination.

Mammography – checking for possible breast cancer

This examination is covered by public health insurance between the ages of 45 and 69, once every two years. For younger or older woman it is possible to pay privately. Women at higher risk have the examination covered by public health insurance (e.g. a positive family history). You need a recommendation from the GP or gynaecologist.

A list of medical facilities providing this test is available at www.mzcr.cz and www.mamo.cz

• Prague 2, VFN, Centrum diagnostiky chorob prsu, Karlovo Nám. 33
• Prague 4, Mamma centrum DTC Praha a.s, Roškotova 1717/2, tel. 234 105 a 351, 359, 106. Dr. Schovajsová (koordinátor projektu) - 777 777 144
• Prague 4, Fakultní Thomayerova Nemocnice, Vídeňská 800
• Prague 5, Nemocnice na Homolce, Roentgenova 2, tel. 257 272 510
• Prague 8, Fakultní Nemocnice na Bulovce
• Prague 10, Fakultní nemocnice Královské Vinohrady, Šrobárova 50, tel. 267 162 406
• Prague 10, První česká společnost s.r.o, Chmelová 6, tel. 272 653 884

As part of the preventive examination your GP can further recommend:

• Gynaecological examination (done by specialist gynaecologist) - PAP test (cervical smear), checking for possible cervical cancer
• Eye examination - Eye pressure measurement is recommended above the age of 45
• Preventive dental examination