Case 2: A “Bad” Question

Abstract

Many years ago, while working as an anesthesiologist and critical care registrar (resident) in King Edward VIII Hospital, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa, I got interested in the following question:

Does chest physiotherapy (CPT) have a role in the prevention of postoperative respiratory failure after upper abdominal surgery?

I was young and I thought the question could easily be answered, since some surgeons used CPT postoperatively and some did not prescribe to it. Hence, I had two groups. The IRB was easily obtained and so was the consent. I also knew that there would be no lack of patients because upper abdominal knife wounds were very common at our hospital at that time.