Posted: January 28th, 2022

It is intriguing to come to a hospital setting with multiple symptoms

It’s intriguing to walk into a hospital with several symptoms of a sickness or ailment and not know what’s going on. For example, a headache or stomach ache may induce the symptoms one is feeling. Due to the same symptoms of numerous illnesses, healthcare providers must discover the logical source of the sickness or ailment. This talk will examine Differential Diagnosis (DD) and three types of DD strategies utilized in clinical settings. The three types are inductive, deductive, and clinical reasoning. The hazards and benefits of the three DD processes are also explored.
According to Jain (2017), differential diagnosis is developing a list of probable diseases to help find the patient’s condition. According to Cadet et al. (2019), the differential diagnosis entails a complete workup. Gheorghiu and Barkley (2017) stated that nurses should be aware of risks connected with assessment and history. Diabetes can cause heart or renal failure. A multidisciplinary approach is advantageous in the treatment plan of care, according to Dlugasch and Story (2021). An accurate diagnosis is based on a thorough examination of the patient’s medical history and physical examination (Dlugasch & Story, 2021). Also, omitting a crucial component may lead to incorrect diagnosis (Cadet et al., 2019)
To make a diagnosis, a doctor may employ logical, inductive, or clinical reasoning (Reinoso et al., 2018). Deductive reasoning moves from general input to specific diagnosis (Reinoso et al., 2018). However, the hypothesis begins early, and the information obtained is checked against the notion (Reinoso et al., 2018). Inductive reasoning, on the other hand, starts with the specific and moves to the general. Moreover, the reason starts with data that confirms a pattern or an algorithm (Reinoso et al., 2018). Reinoso et al. (2018) suggest using this reasoning tool with expert-derived algorithms for statistically important scenarios. This style of thinking may be confusing to new Advanced Practice Nurses (Reinoso et al., 2018). Finally, clinical reasoning involves evaluating symptoms, lab results, and clinical presentations to make a diagnosis (Reinoso et al., 2018). However, according to Reinoso et al. (2018), clinical reasoning can be confused with clinical decision making (slightly differently).
Finally, the differential diagnosis may include common diseases or syndromes. So, healthcare workers like Advanced Practice Nurses should be methodical in their differential diagnosis. An expert can collaborate with other specialists to determine the differential diagnosis and treatment approach. Deductive, inductive, and clinical reasoning can also aid in differential diagnosis selection.