Description

“NEURO WNL” (“the neurological exam is within normal limits”) is commonly the last notation on a physical exam report. Regretfully, this often means that virtually no neuro exam took place. The patient looked O.K. to all superficial appearances and had no particular neurologic complaints. A physician can be trapped into this approach, when there is inadequate time for the 90 minute neurologic exam some references suggest, or even the 20 minute exam suggested for patients with no neurologic complaints. In reality, there are times when 5 minutes or less is available. This book, written for the non-neurologist, focuses on a brief neurologic screening exam that maximizes the useful information obtainable when time is limited. It is not a substitute for the more formal neurologic evaluation that should follow, perhaps by a neurologist, when the screening exam reveals significant findings.