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. 1995 Oct;76(10):947-9.
doi: 10.1016/s0003-9993(95)80072-7.

Electromyography: do the diagnostic ends justify the means?

M J Kothari  1 , D C Preston, G M Plotkin, S Venkatesh, J M Shefner, E L Logigian
Affiliations

Electromyography: do the diagnostic ends justify the means?

M J Kothari et al. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1995 Oct.

Abstract

Background: Physicians are sometimes reluctant to refer patients for electrodiagnostic studies (electromyography with nerve conduction studies [EMG/NCS]) believing the test is too painful and of little benefit.

Methods: We performed two separate surveys on 126 and 100 consecutive patients referred to our laboratory to determine if EMG/NCS was beneficial to the referring physician and to compare the level of anxiety experienced by patients before the study with the pain actually experienced during the study.

Results: The electrodiagnosis was discordant from the referring diagnosis in 39% of the patients with an abnormal EMG/NCS. Pretest anxiety levels were low in 59% of the patients, medium in 27%, and high in 14%. After the tests, 82% of the patients said that the test was not as bad as expected, and was generally only mildly painful. Ninety-three responded that they would have the test performed again.

Conclusions: EMG/NCS often suggest alternative diagnoses, and the actual pain experienced during an EMG/NCS study is significantly less than expected.

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Comment in

  • Electromyography.
    Ku A. Ku A. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1996 Feb;77(2):212. doi: 10.1016/s0003-9993(96)90172-0. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1996. PMID: 8607750 No abstract available.
  • Electromyography.
    Senelick RC. Senelick RC. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1996 Feb;77(2):212. doi: 10.1016/s0003-9993(96)90174-4. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1996. PMID: 8607751 No abstract available.

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