Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care

Background:

In General Practice, common disorders are usually distinguished from each other by good history taking and careful examination. In contrast, hospital doctors have easy access to many investigations and often rely more heavily on these, than their clinical skills.

The inability of GPs to access such immediate tests in making the diagnosis, is the most difficult challenge for new doctors to overcome. Furthermore keeping up to date on signs and symptoms of uncommon conditions is also a challenge for more experienced GPs.

The ability to differentiate between benign illnesses and serious conditions without investigations is therefore a critical skill which GPs must possess in order to practise safely.



Scope of the book:

The book will cover all common symptoms which present in General Practice and list their recognised causes in order of prevalence.

Reaching a provisional diagnosis is the most difficult part of any GP consultation. The formulation of a management plan thereafter is often straight forward. Therefore this book will focus solely on the formulation of likely diagnoses and will not attempt to cover the investigations and management of them. However, important points will be highlighted where appropriate.

Spis treści:
Introduction:.
Need for this book.
How to use the book.
1. Head & Neck.
Facial pain.
Headache.
Neck lump.
Neck pain.
2. Ophthalmology.
Dry eyes.
Eyelid swelling.
Painful eye.
Ptosis.
Red eye.
Visual loss.
Watery eye.
3. Ear, Nose & Throat.
Blocked nose.
Dysphagia.
Epistaxis.
Hearing loss.
Hoarse voice.
Painful ear.
Rhinorrhoea.
Tinnitus.
4. Thorax.
Breathlessness.
Chest pain.
Cough.
Haemoptysis.
Palpitations.
Stridor.
Wheeze.
5. Abdomen.
Abdominal mass.
Abdominal distension.
Abdominal pain .
Constipation.
Diarrhoea.
Jaundice.
Lump in the groin.
Perianal pain.
Pruritus ani.
Rectal bleeding.
6. Urinary tract.
Acute urinary retention / Oliguria.
Frequency.
Haematuria.
Incontinence.
Loin pain.
Urgency.
7. Women’s health.
Amenorrhoea / Oligomenorrhoea.
Breast lump.
Breast pain.
Dysmenorrhoea.
Dyspareunia.
Intermenstrual / Post–coital bleeding.
Menorrhagia.
Nipple discharge.
Postmenopausal bleeding.
Vaginal bleeding in pregnancy.
Vaginal discharge.
Vulval itch.
Vulval lump.
8. Men’s health.
Gynaecomastia.
Impotence.
Penile discharge.
Scrotal lump.
Scrotal pain.
9. Musculoskeletal.
Ankle pain.
Back pain.
Calf pain.
Elbow pain.
Hand pain.
Heel pain.
Hip pain.
Knee pain.
Shoulder pain.
Swollen joints.
Swollen leg / foot.
10. Skin, Nails & Hair.
Blisters.
Hair loss.
Hirsutism.
Facial erythema.
Moles.
Nail discoloration.
Nodules.
Pruritus.
Purpuric / petechial rash.
Skin discoloration.
11. Mental Health.
Aggression.
Psychosis.
Fatigue.
Insomnia.
12. Miscellaneous.
Confusion.
Dizziness.
Dysphasia.
Falls.
Night sweats.
Tremor.
Weight gain.
Weight loss.
.
Index.
Listed by main disease areas

Nota biograficzna:
Dr Mehmood Syed MBBS DRCOG MRCGP
Private & NHS General Practitioner
Dr Nairah Rasul BSc (Hons) MBBS
Senior House Officer in Vocational Training for General Practice

Okładka tylna:
Background:

In General Practice, common disorders are usually distinguished from each other by good history taking and careful examination. In contrast, hospital doctors have easy access to many investigations and often rely more heavily on these, than their clinical skills.

The inabil ity of GPs to access such immediate tests in making the diagnosis, is the most difficult challenge for new doctors to overcome. Furthermore keeping up to date on signs and symptoms of uncommon conditions is also a challenge for more experienced GPs.

The ability to differentiate between benign illnesses and serious conditions without investigations is therefore a critical skill which GPs must possess in order to practise safely.



Scope of the book:

The book will cover all common symptoms which present in General Practice and list their recognised causes in order of prevalence.

Reaching a provisional diagnosis is the most difficult part of any GP consultation. The formulation of a management plan thereafter is often straight forward. Therefore this book will focus solely on the formulation of likely diagnoses and will not attempt to cover the investigations and management of them. However, important points will be highlighted where appropriate.