One of my teachers, Prof Koelmeyer, used to say that the correctly performed neurological examination was one of the highest forms of art. Thanks to a tweet from Cliff Reid, I came across this magical demonstration of the neurological exam posted on YouTube by Dr Michael Ingram.

One wonders if the bowtie, English accent, and the recurrent use of the expression ‘lovely’ are necessary components of the exam… Oh yes, and don’t forget to look for the ‘quizzical eyebrows’ of Horner’s syndrome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgwN1P5PDaA

Of course, you can reduce the 3 minute neuro exam to to 3 seconds by asking your patient to perform a backward flip. If that test is positive I generally say, ‘That’s lovely’ and terminate my examination at that point.

Life in the Fast Lane Medical Blog - Emergency Medicine education blog

“Action at a distance” is a phrase synonymous with flight-deck control physicians practicing the hands-free model of patient examination and management. Whilst cruising the interweb for evidential examples of such medical practitioners, I was lucky enough to happen upon an evolutionary tool – the Kymera Magic WAND

This device currently boasts ‘action-at-a-distance control of electronic devices’, I feel with practice and appropriate research funding this device could revolutionize the discipline of Medicine At a Distance and the sub-specialty of Hands Off Medicine.

Who of those among us hasn’t at one time or other wished with all their heart that they might own a wand and perform magic? I am not talking of the charlatan fakery and sleight of hand gimmicks that close-up magicians often do in cabaret; no, I am talking about great and proper action-at-a-distance Magic. I have toured the World in search of potent ingredients and obscure mechanisms that when combined in the proper manner, could confer upon even the most barely trained novice, the ability to command at their bidding, such objects as might be found within the home.

The Kymera Wand is an instrument capable of reproducing the magical experience of being able to control things with merely the flick of a wrist, or the imperceptible twitch of the tip of the wand. This magic wand in it’s simplest guise is a ‘universal remote’. It can control many devices with up to 14 different gestures. One can effect change in electronic devices from a distance e.g. adjust volume, change channel turn the volume up and down and change the channel.

The UCEM Bored of Censors are currently reviewing the potential of the wand for patient control from triage

Distance action to 'Subdue'

Side Flick for Exeunt

Life in the Fast Lane Medical Blog - Emergency Medicine education blog