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Letters

Tell me what troubles you most

Roy Sutherland
CMAJ January 22, 2002 166 (2) 169-169-a;
Roy Sutherland
Family physician (retired) Victoria, BC
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The article by Donald Redelmeier and colleagues on eliciting an insightful history of present illness1 reminded me of a time, years before the advent of blank-cheque medicine, when I was called to a rural cottage, bare as a doghouse, the home of an elderly couple. Clean and impecunious, the old lady related that her husband had been bedridden for 10 days and that she was worried. During examination, the patient's responses to repeated questions were uniformly and charmingly vague. From his high fever, rigid abdomen and racing pulse, I surmised that septicemia from acute cholecystitis had brought him to a lucid period at death's door.

Trying one last time, I said, “Tell me what troubles you most.”

“Ah that I will know — let me see, ah yes, I would say, yes that's it, I've got that unsartin feeling.”

Reference

  1. 1.↵
    Redelmeier DA, Schull MJ, Hux JE, Tu JV, Ferris LE. Problems for clinical judgement: 1. Eliciting an insightful history of present illness. CMAJ 2001;164(5):647-51.
    OpenUrlAbstract/FREE Full Text
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CMAJ
Vol. 166, Issue 2
22 Jan 2002
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Tell me what troubles you most
Roy Sutherland
CMAJ Jan 2002, 166 (2) 169-169-a;

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Tell me what troubles you most
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CMAJ Jan 2002, 166 (2) 169-169-a;
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