Pearls – Clinical Examination
Rene Descartes (1596-1650)
The gathering of clinical signs must be unbiased – clinicians must avoid having notions concerning a hypothetical etiology, pathogenesis or diagnosis. Once such notions enter (pollute) the mind of an examiner, the clinical examination becomes biased – pre-conceptions “close eyes” to contradictory signs and “close minds” – impede “seeing” signals conveyed by signs – a biased clinical examination is an effort to fulfill a hypothetical prophecy.
