ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Hickam's dictum

Hickam's Dictum is a very important statement in the field of medicine, and it's a way of saying that sometimes things can be complicated and doctors need to think about all the possible reasons why someone is sick. Let's say you have a headache - this could be caused by many different things, like not getting enough sleep, being dehydrated, or even having a more serious medical condition. Doctors need to consider all the different possibilities and not just jump to one idea right away, since they might not have all the information they need.

So think of it like this: if you were trying to solve a puzzle, you wouldn't want to just try one piece and assume it's the right one. You would want to keep trying different pieces until you find the one that fits. That's what doctors need to do, too - keep looking at all the options and trying different things until they figure out what's going on with their patients. And that's why we have Hickam's Dictum - to remind doctors to keep an open mind and keep exploring until they find the best solution for their patients.
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