Nowadays, with the rampant use of ultrasound of the abdomen, there are a lot of patients presenting to the physicians reports showing gallbladder disorders, either in the form of polyps, cholesterolosis, tumor, stones, cholecystitis, etc.
Nowadays, ofentimes, the physicians do not examine the patients anymore. They just rely on the ultrasound reports for their decision-making in recommending the next step in management.
I strongly recommend that physicians should still physically examine the patients to verify the ultrasound findings, to validate the ultrasound diagnosis, and most important of all, to create trust by touching the patients, even just for a few second or minutes. They should at least inspect the sclerae for any sign of jaundice and palpate the abdomen especially the right upper quadrant area for any mass and tenderness.
If the plan is to operate on the patients, they should extend their physical examination to other parts of the body in an attempt to screen the patients for any conditions that may interfere with the operation. For example, they should inspect the conjunctivae for any signs of anemia; auscultate the heart and lungs for any abnormal findings; get the blood pressure; etc.
ROJOSON’S RECOMMENDATION: DO PHYSICAL EXAMINATION OF PATIENTS PRESENTING WITH IMAGING REPORTS OF A GALLBLADDER DISORDER!
ROJ@17jan3
