During confrontation visual fields testing, how many fingers should ideally NOT be shown?

In confrontation visual field testing, the examiner typically should avoid showing three fingers, as it can lead to ambiguity in the patient's response. During this test, the examiner presents a certain number of fingers at the periphery of the patient's visual field while the patient focuses on a central point. The number of fingers represents a threshold that the patient must identify.

Showing two fingers, for instance, simplifies the response since there is a clear distinction from showing just one finger or the absence of any fingers. Similarly, when showing four or five fingers, patients can generally discern the numbers more accurately due to their greater contrast compared to three, which could be misinterpreted as two or four, depending on the patient's visual perception and field deficits.

Therefore, avoiding three fingers during confrontation visual testing helps maintain clarity and accuracy in assessing the patient's visual field responses.