Questions like this confuse me. From an educational point of view. A little thread if I may. Here the lesson plan is:
-resource: ultrasound of detatched retina
-audience: brand new doctors on day one
-purpose: identify history of detached retina. (1/?) https://twitter.com/jmugele/status/1279190857011408905
Problem one: the question is asking for the history, based on an investigation finding. This is upside down thinking and isn’t training brand new doctors to think and problem solve. This isn’t an incidental finding like a heart murmur
Problem two: the question presupposes that interns will recognise that this is an ultrasound of an eye, and not, say, a vein or artery. It doesn’t guide the pupil (no pun intended) in any direction and demands knowledge of relatively rare tests without prompting
Problem three: there is no practical purpose for looking at this image and then telling the patient what their SYMPTOMS are. Beyond walking past an ultrasonographer and shouting “bet you can’t see” at the patient. While someone holds a stick in their eye.
Problem four: this is not a skill that a first-day doctor would be expected to perform. It runs the risk of frightening interns that they should be thinking of grabbing a probe and having a go.
We’re really bad at just giving the answer. But I think this needs “An X year old presented with (symptoms) and this is the ultrasound of the eye. That floppy bit is a textbook detached retina. If you see a patient with (X) book an urgent ultrasound: it is a quick way to diagnose
Interns need tips, advice and help. I’m not sure that this very well-meaning question, using an excellent resource is doing that. It falls into the age-old medical trap of asking an upside down question and expecting an expert answer or embarrassing silence.
You can follow @keirshiels.
Tip: mention @twtextapp on a Twitter thread with the keyword “unroll” to get a link to it.

Latest Threads Unrolled: