differential diagnosis
Medical ruling-out process
Differential diagnosis is the process of distinguishing a particular disease or condition from others with similar symptoms.
A physician considers multiple possibilities and systematically rules them out through tests, history, and examination: The differential diagnosis included lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Lyme disease.
Often shortened to differential or abbreviated DDx.
Able to wait calmly
- presentationFormal display to viewers
- historyRecord of past events
- examinationMethodical assessment or review
- signsDisplays conveying information
symptoms · comorbidities · prognosis · bedside · rounds · consultation · referral · specialist
Facility for scientific investigation
- imagingProducing visual representations
- bloodworkMedical fluid analysis
- biopsyTissue sample for diagnosis
- culturesCollective human practices
urinalysis · MRI · X-ray · ultrasound · ECG · endoscopy · pathology · histology
Being barred from participation
- eliminationAct of removing entirely
- narrowingReduction in width
- triageSeverity-based prioritization
- siftingSeparating by particle size
sorting · prioritization · refinement · comparison · contrast · distinction · separation · delineation
Testable proposed explanation
- deductionConclusion from premises
- inferenceConclusion reached through reasoning
- reasoningDrawing logical conclusions
- judgmentReasoned decision-making capacity
interpretation · probability · likelihood · Bayesian · heuristic · uncertainty · gestalt · analysis
Bodily disorders or malfunctions
- disordersAbnormal physical or mental conditions
- syndromesCharacteristic symptom groupings
- infectionsMicrobial invasions causing disease
- malignanciesHarmful, spreading tumors
autoimmune · congenital · acute · chronic · benign · malignant · primary · secondary
patient
Able to wait calmly
- presentationFormal display to viewers
- historyRecord of past events
- examinationMethodical assessment or review
signs · symptoms · comorbidities · prognosis · bedside · rounds · consultation · referral · specialist · attending
laboratory
Facility for scientific investigation
- imagingProducing visual representations
- bloodworkMedical fluid analysis
- biopsyTissue sample for diagnosis
cultures · urinalysis · MRI · X-ray · ultrasound · ECG · endoscopy · pathology · histology · serology
exclusion
Being barred from participation
- eliminationAct of removing entirely
- narrowingReduction in width
- triageSeverity-based prioritization
sifting · sorting · prioritization · refinement · comparison · contrast · distinction · separation · delineation · workup
hypothesis
Testable proposed explanation
- deductionConclusion from premises
- inferenceConclusion reached through reasoning
- reasoningDrawing logical conclusions
judgment · interpretation · probability · likelihood · Bayesian · heuristic · uncertainty · gestalt · analysis
diseases
Bodily disorders or malfunctions
- disordersAbnormal physical or mental conditions
- syndromesCharacteristic symptom groupings
- infectionsMicrobial invasions causing disease
malignancies · autoimmune · congenital · acute · chronic · benign · malignant · primary · secondary · common
- medicinedoctor, doctors, hospital, medicine, surgery
- medical caresurgery, examination, injection, prescription, medication
- diagnosticsCT scan, rapid test, blood test, physical exam, antigen test
- disordersADHD, disorder, anxiety, dysfunction, autism
- medical casescase report, trauma case, emergency case, infectious disease, patient history
- medical recordsmedical records, patient records, medical record, chart, patient charts
diagnosis, differentiate, differential, differentiation, differentiated, differentiator, differentials