4. Guidance for Medical Professionals Medical history The clinician should obtain a complete medical history, including information about prior medical, surgical, or psychiatric problems and be sure to document any history of injuries before each period of alleged torture or other ill-treatment and any possible after-effects. A medical evaluation form for collecting information to be used by medical examiners is annexed herewith as ‘Annexure B’. Specific historical information may be useful in correlating regional practices of torture with individual allegations of torture or ill-treatment. Examples of useful information include descriptions of torture devices, body positions, methods of restraint, descriptions of acute or chronic wounds and disabilities and identifying information about perpetrators and places of detention. All complaints made by an alleged torture victim are significant. Although there may be no direct correlation with the physical findings, they should be reported. Acute and chronic symptoms and disabilities associated with specific forms of abuse and the subsequent healing processes should be documented. Medical evidence: The clinician should arrange for a medical examination of the alleged victim. The timeliness of such medical examinations is particularly important. A medical examination should be undertaken regardless of the length of time since the torture, but if it is alleged to have happened within the past six weeks, such an examination should be arranged urgently before acute signs fade. The examination should include an assessment of the need for treatment of injuries and illnesses, psychological help, advice, and follow-up. A psychological appraisal of the alleged torture victim is always necessary and may be part of the physical examination, or where there are no physical signs, may be performed by itself. In formulating a clinical impression for the purpose of reporting physical and psychological evidence of torture, there are six important questions to ask: 18