Tim Churches wrote:
The current blurb from HCN quotes a BMJ article
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/rapidpdf/bmj.39003.640567.AEv1, "Googling for a
diagnosis—use of Google as a diagnostic aid: internet based study".
In this case, since the details of the cases and the exact search terms
used by the investigators are all provided (see
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/data/bmj.39003.640567.AE/DC1/1)
If I have read it correctly, it appears that for case 10:
73 yo fever, thigh pain,
urinary frequency,
previous statin use.
the authors searched on a combination of:
fever, bilateral thigh pain,
weakness
To me, a 73 year old with fever, urinary frequency and thigh pain is
most likely to have a UTI and thigh pain either from arthritis, sciatica
or both. I wonder why the authors didn't include the urinary frequency
symptom in their search terms?
I was also surprised that for case 18:
45 yo female with painful
abdo mass
they searched for a combination of:
fibroma, astrocytoma,
tumor, leiomyoma, scoliosis
How did they jump to searching for astrocytoma or scoliosis in somebody
with an abdominal mass?
I will ask Dr. Hangwi Tang, the corresponding author.
--
Oliver Frank, general practitioner
255 North East Road, Hampstead Gardens, South Australia 5086
Phone 08 8261 1355 Fax 08 8266 5149 Mobile 0407 181 683
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