Critical thinking in anesthesia: eighth Honorary FAER Research Lecture.

摘要

SCIENTIFICALLY based professionals face the dilemma described by James Oberg, National Aeronautics and Space Administration engineer and space journalist: "You must keep an open mind, but not so open that your brains fall out."1 Startling advances, such as the role of Helicobacter pylori in the etiology of stomach ulcers,2 remind us of the need to be receptive to unexpected discoveries that challenge our beliefs.As practitioners of a science-based profession, physicians have a responsibility to patients to (1) critically interpret their medical history, (2) critically read and evaluate the scientific literature, and (3) critically plan their therapy using evidenced-based medicine. How well do we meet this standard?