Value of a Detailed Clinical Examination

Abstract

Anshul Agarwal and Parag Singhal

The role of a physician in modern medicine has changed in recent times. The advances in technology, easy access to modern diagnostic investigations, workload and time constraints seems to a deterrent to the physical examination skills of modern doctors [1]. There are many recent studies suggesting the failure of modern doctors to correctly identifying physical signs [2]. The restrictions on face-to-face consultations imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic adds to the challenge in examining patients. This at times induces a huge threat to patients’ safety, leading to missing vital diagnoses, unnecessary investigations, and prolonged treatments with drugs causing harmful adverse effects [4]. Here, we present a case of post-herpetic neuralgia which was misdiagnosed initially as Giant Cell Arteritis due to insufficient history and physical examination.

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