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How do you improve common sense and clinical reasoning?

I work in healthcare and don’t have much common sense I can see people growing at my judgements no matter how much knowledge I have there is always something I miss in the bigger picture of things
Original post by Anonymous
I work in healthcare and don’t have much common sense I can see people growing at my judgements no matter how much knowledge I have there is always something I miss in the bigger picture of things

I think the best way to think about it is just know that every single intervention that you do needs to come from somewhere. It has its strenghts and limitations. Once you start to understand that and apply it to each patient, then you will be able to reason better.
For example, imagine a patient has sepsis and the blood pressure is low. What would be your course of action? Well, give a fluid bolus. Why is this good? Well with sepsis, there is a systemic inflamatory response which leads to vasodilation and so the liquids get into tissues. So, the circulation will have less fluids. Giving fluid boluses will help with the BP.
Why would you not give in some instances? Well, actually increases the risk of cardiomegaly - well you can make someone go into cardiac failure.
So, you do not have to complicate too much. As long as you know what is normal and abnormal for each system then you will be good to go.
Reply 2
Original post by Yvaa
I think the best way to think about it is just know that every single intervention that you do needs to come from somewhere. It has its strenghts and limitations. Once you start to understand that and apply it to each patient, then you will be able to reason better.
For example, imagine a patient has sepsis and the blood pressure is low. What would be your course of action? Well, give a fluid bolus. Why is this good? Well with sepsis, there is a systemic inflamatory response which leads to vasodilation and so the liquids get into tissues. So, the circulation will have less fluids. Giving fluid boluses will help with the BP.
Why would you not give in some instances? Well, actually increases the risk of cardiomegaly - well you can make someone go into cardiac failure.
So, you do not have to complicate too much. As long as you know what is normal and abnormal for each system then you will be good to go.


Thanks for that!

Yea I think that’s my problem I tend to overthink, I’l def take your advice thanks

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