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.