Differential Diagnosis for Primary Care

Intended for use chiefly by non-medically qualified practitioners, particularly those working in the field of manual therapy, the book provides a clear guide through the minefield of signs and symptoms with which clients commonly present. Its aim is to help practitioners to arrive quickly and logically at the correct diagnosis and in so doing to become aware of anything which does not fit the diagnosis and so needs to be referred.

Key Features

• Provide a framework in which signs and symptoms commonly encountered in primary practice are differentially diagnosed
• Flowcharts for each presenting complaint to aid in the formulation of working diagnosis
• Provides a screening checklist which indicates clinical findings suggesting the need to refer
• Division of information into sections to facilitate ready referral to information routinely used in clinical practice

New to this Edition

• CDROM added
• Smaller, easier to use format with a flexicover
• Inclusion of additional laboratory investigations
• Updated information

Table of Contents

Part 1 The principles and purpose of diagnosis

1.The principles of diagnosis: from black box to glass bowl;

2. The principles of drug therapy

Part 2 The differential diagnosis of patients’complaints

3.Introduction;

4. Abdominal pain;

5. Anorectal pain;

6. Anxiety;

7. Backache;

8. Blackouts;

9. Bleeding from the bowel;

10. Breathlessness;

11. Bruising and easy bleeding;

12. Chest pain;

13. Clubbing;

14. Confusion and confused behaviour;

15. Constipation;

16. Cough;

17.Cyanosis;

18. Deafness sand hearing impairment;

19. Depression;

20. Diarrhea;

21. Dizziness;

22. Dysphagia;

23. Dysuria;

24. Earache;

25. Facial pain;

26. Fatigue;

27. Fever (pyrexia);

28. Flushing; 2

9. Genital pain or discomfort;

30. Halitosis;

31. Headache;

32. Hematemesis;

33. Hematuria;

34. Hirsutism;

35. Impotence;

36. Indigestion;

37. Itch; 38. Jaundice;

39. Joint pain;

40. Limb pain;

41. Lump;

42. Menstrual problems;

43. Pallor;

44. Palpitations;

45. Period pains;

46. Pins and needles;

47. Rash;

48. Red eye;

49. Runny nose;

50.Sore throat;

51. Swollen ankles;

52. Tremor;

53. Ulcer;

54. Unsteadiness;

55. Urinary frequency;

56. Vaginal discharge;

57. Visual impairment;

58. Vomiting;

59. Weakness;

60. Weight problems;

61. Wheeze

Part 3 Clinical conditions

Glossary;

Index