The laboratory in medical practice
The role of laboratory tests, their value and the risks of overuse.
Pedro defended the clinical examination as the foundation of Medicine. In this 2007 text he discusses the role of laboratory tests: their undeniable value in confirming hypotheses and monitoring treatment, and the risks of overuse, when the test replaces the conversation and the physical examination.
The subject connects to his stories. The man who wanted to lose weight had his tuberculosis found on auscultation, before any test; the child with meningitis was referred on the strength of the mother's account. The laboratory comes afterwards, to confirm.
The article also touches on cost and safety: unnecessary tests burden the system and the patient, and results out of context lead to unnecessary treatment. It is a reflection that today's Medicine, with the "Choosing Wisely" movement, would take up years later.
This article is part of the historical archive of Pedro Moretti Guedes. It should be read as a document of its time: Medicine, pharmacology and health recommendations have changed since publication.
The original clipping is preserved by the family and will be published here once the scan can be checked against the original.