BOOKS FOR DOCTORS
BOOKS FOR DOCTORS
Signs & Symptoms
To make a clinical diagnosis doctors take a history (symptoms) and perform a physical examination (signs). Most diagnoses are obvious at this stage, or at least a selection of differential diagnoses become apparent to the doctor.
This book assists doctors with these essential steps, listing every possible symptom and the associated diagnoses; then list a huge range of clinical signs with their interpretation.
The data it contains is available to be used in print or electronically.
SECTION ONE
SYMPTOMS
Symptoms to Diagnosis
SYMPTOM: The consciousness of a disturbance in a bodily function.
Butterworths Medical Dictionary
FORMAT
Presenting Symptom
(Alternate Name)
Explanation of terminology
System or other group of symptoms
Diagnoses that may present with this symptom [alternate name of diagnosis] (other symptoms of each diagnosis, or a discussion of the diagnosis)
See also Symptom of Similar Significance
SAMPLE ENTRIES:-
Ear Discharge
(Otorrhoea)
Trauma (i.e. direct injury or skull fracture - CSF)
Cerumen
Foreign body in canal
Acute otitis externa (pain)
Otitis media with ruptured tympanum
Other infections
Epithelial debris
Perichondritis
Otic tumours
Skin disorders (eg. eczema)
Ear, Smelly
Otitis media (ruptured tympanum with discharge)
Cholesteatoma (purulent discharge, deaf)
Fungal infection of ear canal
Ecchymosis
Bruise, purpuric macules
Thrombocytopenia (low blood platelets)
Coagulation defects (congenital or acquired)
Meningococcal infection
Septicaemia
Subacute bacterial endocarditis
Rickettsial diseases (eg. typhus, Rocky Mountain spotted fever)
Allergic vasculitis (arthralgia, myalgia)
Purpura fulminans (skin infarcts)
Scurvy (bleeding gums)
Basal skull fracture (mastoid ecchymosis)
Local trauma
Drug hypersensitivity
See also Bruising, Excess
Ejaculation, Premature
Anxiety
Unreasonable expectations
Emotional disorders
Very rarely organic
Ejaculation, Retarded
Diabetes mellitus (polyuria, polydipsia)
Hypogonadism
Hyperprolactinaemia
Spinal cord tumours, trauma or disease
Parkinson's disease (tremor, rigidity)
Cerebrovascular accident
Cerebral tumour, trauma or abscess
Genitourinary developmental defects
Urethral stricture, fistula or diverticulum
Prostatic disease
Aortic aneurysm
Surgical sympathectomy
Pelvic trauma or tumour
SECTION TWO
SIGNS
Clinical Signs and their Interpretation
SIGN: Objective evidence of disease or deformity
Butterworths Medical Dictionary
FORMAT
Sign (Alternate Name) [Abbreviation]
Exp: An explanation of the sign, with its methodology described in sufficient detail to enable the practitioner to perform the test.
Int: The interpretation of the sign.
(+) The diseases, syndromes etc. that should be considered if the test is positive
(++) The interpretation of an exaggerated or grossly positive test
(–) Ditto for a negative test result
(AB) Ditto for an abnormal test result
Phys: The pathophysiology of the sign to enable its significance to be better understood
See also Other Signs of Significance
SAMPLE ENTRIES:-
Rinne's Test
Exp: A vibrating tuning fork (512 cps) is placed on the mastoid process. When it becomes inaudible to the patient, the vibrating end is placed near the external auditory meatus. If heard at the external auditory meatus, air conduction is greater than bone conduction (i.e. Rinne positive). In reverse situation, if heard on mastoid process after air conduction lost, the test is Rinne negative
Int: (+) Air conduction < bone conduction – Conductive deafness (eg. wax, perforated tympanum, otosclerosis, glue ear, otitis media, foreign body, dislocated ossicles, tumours, meatal stenosis, exostoses, barotrauma)
(+) Air conduction > bone conduction – Normal hearing
(+) Reduced time – Perceptive deafness (eg. presbycousis, vascular causes, measles, mumps, influenza, meningitis, labyrinthitis, congenital causes [maternal rubella], trauma [blast], prolonged noise exposure, drugs (eg. streptomycin, aspirin, quinine), Menière's disease, late otosclerosis, CNS tumours, haemorrhage, leukaemia, multiple sclerosis, vitamin B deficit), psychogenic
See also Weber's Test
Risus Sardonicus
Exp: Fixed, immobile grin
Int: (+) Tetanus
Phys: Excess tension of facial musculature
Rogoff's Sign
Exp: Costovertebral angle pain and tenderness
Int: (+) Adrenal crisis
Phys: Adrenal inflammation due to steroid withdrawal; or adrenal infection or destruction
Romana's Sign
Exp: Unilateral persistent oedema of upper and lower eyelids
Int: (+) Chagas' disease
Phys: Occurs when conjunctiva is portal of trypanasome entry
Romberg's Sign
Exp: Patient stands at attention with heels close together and then shuts eyes. Positive when severe swaying or falling occurs
Int: (+) Tabes dorsalis, posterior column lesion, subacute combined degeneration of cord, intoxication
Phys: Due to loss of proprioceptive sensation. Negative in cerebellar disease
See also Ataxia; Proprioceptive Sense, Loss of; Heel-Knee Test; Tandem Romberg Test
FOR DOCTORS
FOR THE PUBLIC