Reference no: EM133480227

Case: Making a differential diagnosis is routine for providers and it is a systematic process that involves applying one's clinical reasoning and formulating a list of potential diagnoses based on what the patient's presenting symptoms are (Reinoso et al., 2018). This list of potential diagnoses is taken and various pieces of information such as subjective, objective, and diagnostic data are used to narrow the possibilities down to a precise diagnosis (Reinoso et al., 2018). Developing differential diagnosis is not an easy task, especially for the novice nurse practitioner, since our background education focuses on nursing tradition, integration of theory, hands on skills, and the holistic approach we take with patients (Reinoso et al., 2018).

Strategies that can aid in generating differential diagnoses are symptom complexes, local anatomic approach, and systems approach (UMass Chan Medical School, 2006). System complexes is when while listening to details of the patient's story you put together two or three symptoms and a certain condition comes to mind (UMass Chan Medical School, 2006). The risk for using this strategy is that you must have extensive knowledge and if you use this method alone, there is a chance for misdiagnosis. It is a benefit for the experienced provider because it is a fast way of thinking, which is usually the way they think already (UMass Chan Medical School, 2006). Local anatomic is when you focus locally in the area where the complaint is. An example is when your patient complains of abdominal pain, and you ask yourself what organs are there and possibilities of what can be causing their symptoms. The benefit of this method is that many things come to mind, and you will come up with an extensive differential diagnosis (UMass Chan Medical School, 2006). The limitation is that other parts of the body can be the problem and what they are experiencing is radiating pain, therefore the initial area of concern might not be associated (UM Med School, 2006). A third method is a systems approach which is going from head to toe and looking at all the systems in addition to metabolic or genetic possibilities (UMass Medical School, 2006). The benefit to this method is that it is very extensive, and the limitation is that it is not appropriate for every patient (UMass Medical School., 2006).