Differential Diagnosis of the Top 100 Complaints in Primary Care
- #Unilateral Swelling of Cheek, Differential Diagnosis
- Abdominal Pain (acute and chronic), differential diagnosis
- Abdominal Pain (Chronic)- Differential Diagnosis
- Abnormal Uterine Bleeding in non-pregnant premenopausal Women: Differential diagnoses
- Adnexal mass: Differential diagnosis
- Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) Elevated, Causes
- Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) that is low, causes
- Altered Mental Status (AMS) including lethargy and comma – Differential Diagnosis
- Anemia in adults – Causes & Differential diagnosis
- Anemia in children, differential diagnosis
- Anion-Gap Metabolic Acidosis, Causes and Differential Diagnosis (MUD PILES / GOLD MARK)
- Anxiety and Panic attack, Differential diagnosis
- Asthma, Differential Diagnosis
- Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema): Differential Diagnosis
- Atrial Fibrillation: Differential Diagnoses
- Back Pain in Children, Differential Diagnosis
- Back Pain, Acute, Low: Differential Diagnosis
- Blood on Diaper / Bloody Stool in Children from 0 to 18 Years Old: DDx
- Bowel Obstruction (small and large), Differential Diagnosis
- Breast Mass in Prepubertal Children, DDx
- Breast pain (Mastalgia), Ddx
- Burning / Painful Mouth or Tongue, Differential Diagnosis
- Causes of Erectile Dysfunction (ED)
- Causes of Nephrotic syndrome
- Chest Pain: Differential Diagnosis
- Cold Intolerance (Feeling Cold), Differential Diagnosis
- Constipation, differential diagnosis
- Cough (Chronic), Adults: DDx
- Cough (Chronic), Children: DDx
- Cough and dyspnea in an infant (1 mo to 1 year of age)
- Crying Inconsolably, Baby: Differential Diagnosis
- Delirium, Differential diagnosis
- Dementia / Memory Loss, Differential Diagnosis
- Depigmented or Hypopigmented Skin
- Depression, DDx
- Dermatitis, Differential Diagnosis
- Diaper Rash (Diaper Dermatitis) differential diagnosis
- Diarrhea (Acute), Adults, Ddx
- Differential Diagnosis of COPD
- Dizziness or Vertigo (Differential Diagnosis)
- Dyspepsia: Differential diagnosis
- Dysphagia (Difficulty Swallowing), DDx
- Dyspnea (Shortness of Breath) Differential Diagnosis
- Ear Pain (Otalgia), Differential Diagnosis
- Edema of leg (Pedal Edema), Differential Diagnosis
- Eye Pain, DDx
- Eye, Red (Red Eye), Differential Diagnosis
- Eyelid (Swollen, Red), Differential Diagnosis
- Facial Pain, differential diagnosis
- Falls in elderly patients, differential diagnoses
- Fatigue, Malaise : Differential Diagnosis
- Fever of unclear source / Fever of unknown source
- Flank Pain, DDx
- Flushing / Facial Flushing, Differential Diagnoses
- Foodborne disease: Differential diagnosis
- Groin Pain, Differential Diagnosis
- Hair Loss, Differential Diagnosis
- Headache, differential diagnosis
- Hearing Loss, Differential Diagnosis
- Hematuria, Differential Diagnosis
- Hemolytic Anemia – Differential Diagnosis
- Hip Pain, Differential Diagnosis
- Hyperhidrosis (Excessive Sweating) / Night Sweats : Differential Diagnosis
- Hyperlipidemia / Dyslipidemia, Causes
- Hypernatremia, differential diagnosis
- Hypertensive Urgency or Emergency , Differential Diagnosis
- Hypotension and Shock, Differential Diagnosis
- Insomnia (Sleep Disturbances), Differential Diagnosis
- Joint Pain (Arthralgias), Polyarticular/Polyarthritis: Differential Diagnosis
- Leg Pain, Differential Diagnosis
- Limp in a child, Differential Diagnosis
- Low Back Pain, Differential Diagnosis
- Lymphadenopathy (Enlarged Lymph Nodes), differential diagnosis
- Muscle Cramps / Leg Cramps, Differential Diagnosis
- Muscle Pain (Myalgia), Generalized: Differential Diagnosis
- Nausea or Vomiting, Differential Diagnosis
- Neck Pain, Differential Diagnosis
- Neonatal Jaundice or Hyperbilirubinemia: Differential Diagnosis
- Neuropathy (peripheral), Paresthesias / Numbness / Tingling: Ddx
- Neutropenia (Low Neutrophils)
- Non-Anion Gap Metabolic Acidosis, Causes and Differential Diagnosis (USED CARP and HARD UP)
- Orthostatic Hypotension: Differential Diagnosis
- Palpitations: Causes and Differential Diagnosis of Palpitations
- Pelvic pain (Acute): Differential diagnosis
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) – Differential Diagnosis
- Pruritus (Itchy Skin) Differential Diagnosis
- Pruritus Ani (Itchy Anus); Differential Diagnosis
- Rash (Generalized) – Differential Diagnosis
- Rash on face / Red Facial Rash, Differential diagnosis
- Rash: Annular Skin Lesions (Differential Diagnosis)
- Red skin patch, Differential Diagnosis
- Respiratory Distress in the Newborn, DDx
- Runny nose (Rhinorrhea) and Nasal Congestion, Differential Diagnosis
- Scrotal Pain, Differential Diagnosis
- Secondary Hypertension, Differential diagnosis
- Seizure, Differential Diagnosis
- Serotonin Syndrome, Differential diagnosis
- Shoulder Pain, DDx
- Sinus tachycardia, DDx
- Sore Throat (Pharyngitis)
- Streptococcal Pharyngitis: Differential Diagnosis
- Stroke, TIA, and Stroke mimics: Differential diagnosis
- SVT: Differential Diagnosis
- Syncope and Presyncope: Differential Diagnosis
- Thrombocytopenia (low platelets), Causes
- Tinnitus, Differential Diagnosis
- Tremor, Differential Diagnosis
- Troponinemia (Hypertroponinemia): Differential diagnosis of elevated troponins
- Ulcers (Mouth/Oral), Differential Diagnosis
- Ulcers (or skin lesions) of the genital area, Differential diagnosis
- Urinary (UTI) Symptoms (Dysuria, urgency, frequency) – Differential Diagnosis
- Urinary incontinence: Differential Diagnosis
- Vision Loss, Acute, Painful: Differential diagnosis
- Vision Loss, Acute, Painless: Differential diagnosis
- Vision Loss, Gradual, Painless: Ddx
- Vision Loss, Transient or Fleeting (Amaurosis fugax): Ddx
- Weakness (muscle weakness), differential diagnosis
- Weight loss (Unintentional), Differential Diagnosis
How to Come Up with a Differential Diagnosis
5 Steps to generating a differential diagnosis.
The Differential Diagnosis Grid
To come up with a thorough differential diagnosis, use the differential diagnosis grid. Use an anatomic framework plus a Mnemonic like CASE DIAGNOSED! or VINDICATED MEN. Put anatomic location on one axis and the different diseases (elicited by VINDICATED MEN) on the other axis.
Rule out Worst Case Scenario
Rule out the worst case scenario.
DDx still to write
Musculoskeletal
- Foot and Ankle pain & and problems
- Knee pain, etc.
- Hip pain etc.
- Shoulder
- Elbow
- Hand pain
- Neck mass
- Monoarthritis
- PMR
- Weakness
Elevated Creatinine
Elevated liver enzymes (mild vs. gross elevation)
Hypercalcemia
Good resources
Dr. John Ey’s Differential Diagnosis list, well organized: http://pie.med.utoronto.ca/DC/
http://www.improvediagnosis.org/page/Checklist
Academic Medicine: March 2011 – Volume 86 – Issue 3 – p 307-313
Click to access p426.pdf
Diagnostic checklist by Dr. Ely (PDF)
Preventing Diagnostic Errors in Primary Care
Medical Checklists Save Lives
Medical Checklists Save Lives.
