Meador Revisited: Nondisease in the Nineties
Authors: David R. Gutknecht
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1992)

Editorials15 May 1992Meador Revisited: Nondisease in the NinetiesDavid R. Gutknecht, MDDavid R. Gutknecht, MDSearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-116-10-873 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptIt has been more than a quarter century since the publication of "The Art and Science of Nondisease" (1), a delightful satire in which Meador showed how diagnostic misadventures could lead practitioners to identify diseases that were not actually present. Although costs were implied, explicit mention of expense, frustration, and embarrassment was made only at the conclusion of the paper. We are now in an era of accountability, and it is time for a re-examination of nondisease with an emphasis on its costs.Meador's original classification included mimic syndromes, upper- and lower-limit problems, normal variants, laboratory errors, overinterpretations, and overreaction...References1. Meador C. The art and science of nondisease. N Engl J Med. 1965;272:92-5. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Hart F. The importance of non-disease. Practitioner. 1973;211:193-6. MedlineGoogle Scholar3. SticklerWeidman GW. "Nondisease," "The diagnostic overkill," and "the cover statement." Clin Pediatr. 1968;7:188. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Morrow G. Iatrogenesis imperfecta-a new pediatric problem. Pediatrics. 1975;55:453-5. MedlineGoogle Scholar5. PennNormandKlotz RRS. Factitious meningitis: a recurring problem. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 1988;9:501-3. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. Abdel-DayemHalkerEl Sayed HKM. The radioactive wig in iodine-131 whole body imaging. 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New York: Avenel Books. Google Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byIncidental findings in imaging diagnostic tests: a systematic reviewIf You Have to Prove You Are Ill, You Canʼt Get WellPrimary and secondary prevention of gallstone disease: Implications for patient management and research priorities 15 May 1992Volume 116, Issue 10Page: 873-874KeywordsResearch laboratories Issue Published: 15 May 1992 PDF downloadLoading ...