title: [Clinical neurological examination of patients referred to a neurological department].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We studied reports of clinical neurological status in patients referred from primary and secondary health service to a neurological department.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated referrals consecutively during 6 months. By using parametric and categorical statistical methods, we studied characteristics in examined patients compared with others.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of a total of 912 patients, 431 (47%) had been examined neurologically. Among the women, 267 women (51%) had been examined; among the 164 men (43%). Patients with musculoskeletal disorders were more often examined, p = 0.0001, while those with faint or seizure disorders were significantly less frequently examined compared with other patients, p = 0.009. Clinical neurological examinations were performed more often in women compared with men, p = 0.03. The mean age was higher in the examined group (49.7 years) compared with others (46.5 years), p = 0.006.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinical neurological examination in patients referred to a neurological department had more often been performed in women, in higher age groups, and in those with musculoskeletal symptoms. In more than half of the patients, the decision of referring patients to the department of neurology was not based on results obtained from clinical neurological examination.
authors.affiliation: Nevrologisk avdeling, Regionsykehuset i Tromsø.
authors.forename: S I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Bekkelund
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Albretsen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009664:Norway; D012017:Referral and Consultation