DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS MNEMONICS » CLINICAL SKILLS

Always visit Us....
Medical Blog...
Medical Discussion Forum !

Please Like Us on Facebook.

ACUTE ABDOMINAL PAIN : "BADD GUT PAINS" and "ECTOPIC"
Bowel obstruction
Appendicitis, Adenitis (mesenteric)

Diverticulitis/Diabetic Ketoacidosis/Dysentary/Diarrhea /Drug withdrawal

Gastroenteritis/Gall bladder disease/stones/ obstruction/infection

Urinary tract obstruction (stone) infection (pyelo/cystitis)

Testicular Torsion/Toxin - Lead, black widow spider bite

Pneumonia/Pleurisy/Pancreatitis/Perforated bowel ulcer/Porphyuria

Abdominal aneurysm

INfarcted bowel/Infarcted myocardium (AMI)/Incarcerated hernia/Inflammatory bowel disease

Splenic rupture/infarction/Sickle cell pain crisis sequestration crisis Index

For FEMALES with acute PELVIC pain, think
"ECTOPIC"
As well as the above causes

Ectopic (This is your priority rule out always)/Endometriosis

Cyst rupture (corpus leutium cyst rupture)
Torsion of ovary or cyst
Ovulation: Mittelschmerz

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, salpingitis, tubo - ovarian abscess

Incomplete abortion
Cystitis/pyelonephritis

Abdominal swelling causes: "9 F's"
Fat
Feces
Fluid
Flatus
Fetus
Full-sized tumors
Full bladder
Fibroids
False pregnancy

Ascultation Crackles (rales) : "PEBbles"
Pneumonia
Edema of lung
Bronchitis

CLUBBING DDx: "CLUB"

C : Cardiac: SBE, Congenital heart disease,Congenital clubbing - benign

L : Lung: Carcinoma, chronic infection (TB..)
U : Ulcerative Bowel disease
B : Biliary Cirrhosis

COUGH DDx: "HACKING"

Hilar adenopathy: Sarcoid, TB, Hodgkins

Aneurysm, Asthma

Bronchospasm,Aspiration, Autoimmune Lung DZ

Congestive Heart Failure,Cerumen
Impaction Killer Neoplasms

Infections: Viral, Bacterial, TB, Fungal...Pnemonia/Bronchitis,Infarcted Lung - PE, Inhalation - occupational

Nasal Drip
Growth on vocal cord

Causes of opacity on chest x-ray: "Make Every Child Clean"
Mass
Effusion
Consolidation
Collapse

Chills & Rigors : "CAMP"
Cholangitis
Abscess
Malaria / Meningitis
Pylonephritis / Pneumonia

DIARRHEA DDx: "DIARRHEAL"

D -Drugs:Laxatives, antibiotics, colchicine, digoxin, Diverticulitis

I - Irritable Bowel Syndrome Infarction of bowel Infection: Viral - Most common Bacterial -Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, Yersinia, C. Difficle Toxin -Staph, Cholera, Botulism, E.Coli, Vibrio Protozoa - Giardia, amebiasis

A - AIDS Autoimmune - Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn's Appendicitis

R - Rapid Transit - Dumping Syndrome
R - Renal Failure
H - Hypersecretory -Zollinger Ellison
E - Endocrine -Hyperthyroid, Diabetes, Addisons
A - Absorption Problem - Pancreatic Insufficiency
L - Lesion/Neoplasm

DYSPNEA - SHORTNESS OF BREATH: "ACUTE DYSPNEA"

A - Asthma - Airway obstruction Angioneurotic Edema Aspiration, Altitude sickness

C - COPD Carbon Monoxide toxicity

U - Upper Motor Neuron Lesion or Event
T - Tracheal Obstruction, Tamponade

E - Endocrine: Hyperthyroid Environmental Inhalation

D - Deformed Chest Wall: Flail Chest.
Y - hYperventilation syndrome
S - Sarcoid, Shock

P - 5 Ps of Pleuritic Pain: Pericarditis, Pulmonary Embolus, Pneumomediastinum Pleurisy/pneumonia, Pneumothorax

N - Neoplasm
E - Edema/Pulmonary: Cardiac and Non-cardiac
A - Anemia

Differential Diagnosis : "CIMETIDINE"
Congenital
Infection/ Inflammatory
Metabolic
Endocrine
Trauma
Iatrogenic
Degenerative
Idiopathic
Neoplastic
Everything else

Differential for RLQ Pain: "APPENDICITIS"
Appendicitis
PID/Period
Pancreatitis
Endometriosis/Ectopic pregnancy
Neoplasia
Diverticulitis
Intussusception
Cyst (ovarian)
Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s)
Torsion (ovary)
Irritable bowel syndrome
Stones

EAR ACHE DDx: "OTITIS"

Other referred pain: parotid, tooth, lymphadenitis

TM Joint

Infection: Otitis Media/Externa, Bullous Myringitis

Trauma: Q-Tip, Blunt injury
Impaction: Cerumen, Insect, Foreign Body
Syndrome, Ramsey Hunt facial neuralgia

Goitre differential : "GOITRE"
Goitrogens
Onset of puberty
Iodine deficiency
Thyrotoxicosis/ Tumor/ Thyroiditis [Hashimoto"s]
Reproduction [pregnancy]
Enzyme deficiencies

HEMATURIA DDx: "POPS GOT HEMATURIA"
P - Papillary necrosis, Polyarteritis nodosa
O - Osler-Weber-Randu
P - Prostatitis

S - Stricture Sickle Cell Disease or Trait

G - Glomerulonephritis Goodpastures Syndrome
O - Other Source such as Menstrual Blood
T - Tumor: Bladder, Kidney, Prostate
H - Hemorrhagic Cystitis
E - Exercise, Endocarditis
M - Medication - Analgesics Malignant Hypertension
A - Autoimmune Disease: SLE, Polyarteritis
T - Trauma to GU Tract
U - Urethritis
R - Renal Calculi
I - Infarction: SBE, Sickle Cell, ITP, TTP
A - Allergic Nephropathies: Henoch - Scholein Purpura

HYPERTENSION DDx : "PRESSURE"

P - Pheochromocytoma; Polycythemia, Pre-eclampsia/Eclampsia

R - Renovascular (7%)

E - Endocrine: Hyperthyroid, Cushing, Aldosteronism, Hyperparathyroid

S - Substances: Estrogens (BSP), Caffeine, Cocaine, sympathomimetics, ETOH withdrawal

S - Structural: Coarctation, AI, Arteriosclerosis
U - Upper Motor Neuron Problem: Elevated intracranial pressure

R - Renoparenchymal (0.5%): Glomerulonephritis, Diabetic nephropathy

E - Essential: 90% of hypertension Error in cuff size

Hydronephrosis differential : Unilateral is

"PACT"
Pelvic-uteric obstruction (congenital or acquired)
Aberrant renal vessels
Calculi
Tumours of renal pelvis
Bilateral is

"SUPER"
Stenosis of the urethra
Urethral valve
Prostatic enlargement
Extensive bladder tumour
Retro-peritoneal fibrosis

SEIZURES DDx : "GRAND MALS"
G - Glucose too low

R - Rising Blood Pressure, Toxemia - Eclampsia Ryes syndrome, Renal failure

A - Alcohol Withdrawal
N - Neoplasm, Primary or Mets Neurological Infections - meningitis
D - Drugs, Overdose or withdrawal
M - Metabolic: Hepatic/Renal Failure, Hypothyroid

A - Arterial Disease: CVA, AVM, TIA, Aortic Dissection, Arrhythmia

L - Lytes: Hypo Na, Ca, Mg

S - Subdural Hematoma - Subarachnoid Bleed

SHOCK DDx: "AMS" and "CRASH"
A - Acute neurologic event/trauma (brain injury)

M - Metabolic/toxic cause (brain insulted from blood born toxin, infection, chemistry imbalance.

S - Shock - Mnemonic "CRASH" (brain is not receiving blood)
C - Cardiogenic
R - Rapid blood or water loss
A - Anaphylaxis
S - Septic
H - Head injury (BP regulation center)

Short Statue Causes : "RETARD HEIGHT"
R - Rickets
E - Endocrine (cretinism, hypopituitarism, Cushing"s)
T - Turner syndrome
A - Achondroplasia
R - Respiratory(suppurative lung disease)
D - Down syndrome
H - Hereditary
E - Environmental (postirradiation, postinfectious)
I - IUGR
G - GI (malabsorption)
H -Heart (congenital heart disease)
T - Tilted backbone (scoliosis)

Urinary incontinence Differential : "DIAPERS"
D - Delirium
I - Infection
A - Atrophic urethritis and vaginitis
P - Pharmaceuticals/ Psychologic
E - Excessive urine output
R - Restricted mobility
S - Stool impaction

Vomiting: non-GIT Differential : "ABCDEFGHI"
A - Acute renal failure
B - Brain [increased ICP]
C - Cardiac [inferior MI]
D - DKA
E - Ears [labyrinthitis]
F - Foreign substances [Tylenol, theo, etc.]
G - Glaucoma
H - Hyperemesis gravidarum
I - Infection [pyelonephritis, meningitis]

Vomiting: non-GIT Differential Mnemonic , SHOCK DDx Mnemonic , SEIZURES DDx Mnemonic , Hydronephrosis differential Mnemonic , HYPERTENSION DDx Mnemonic , HEMATURIA DDx Mnemonic , Goitre differential Mnemonic , EAR ACHE DDx Mnemonic , Differential for RLQ Pain Mnemonic , Differential Diagnosis Mnemonic , SHORTNESS OF BREATH Mnemonic , DIARRHEA DDx Mnemonic , Chills & Rigors Mnemonic , Causes of opacity on chest x-ray Mnemonic , COUGH DDx: Mnemonic , CLUBBING DDx Mnemonic , Ascultation Crackles Mnemonic , Causes Of Acute Abdominal Pain Mnemonic , Causes of Abdominal swelling Mnemonic .

Follow @Medicaorispoter

MEDICAORISPOTER

Best Medical Website

Drop a Comment	Here
Publish A Medical Article	Here

About Admin	About Site
Contact Us	Credits