Investigations are as useful as the person interpreting it. Very often common clinical skill and judgment is replaced by slavish following of protocols and numbers and values without taking the total clinical picture of the patient. We treat the patient and not the investigation.This also includes BARF - Brainless Application of Radiological Findings [[1]]
A very common error is to have a cardiac output catheter (Pulmonary / PICCO)and either disregard the numbers when low or over-interpret when the readings are not accurate. Both can be detrimental. The important thing is to prove that a particular investigation is wrong by using some other modality and to then disregard the results. Not doing so can lead to under treatment or unnecessary over treatment.
Other common VOMIT errors
Damped arterial trace
Hyperdamped arterial trace
ECG leads being off
Relying too much on the pulse oximeter value
CCO values while cold fluid is running in the line
PICCO values with a damped catheter.
Treating Hyperkalemia due to hemolysed sample.
The reverse - disregarding a high K value.