In general, diagnosis (plural diagnoses) has two distinct dictionary definitions. The Language of mathematics has a vast Vocabulary of specialist and technical terms The first definition is "the recognition of a disease or condition by its outward signs and symptoms", while the second definition is "the analysis of the underlying physiological/biochemical cause(s) of a disease or condition". A disease is an abnormal condition of an organism that impairs bodily functions and can be deadly

For instance, a common disorder such as pneumonia was nevertheless used as a diagnosis before the germ theory was accepted, and the disease was defined as a complex of many symptoms consisting of cough, sputum production, fever and chills. Pneumonia is an inflammatory illness of the Lung. Frequently it is described as lung Parenchyma / alveolar inflammation and abnormal Sputum is matter that is Expectorated from the respiratory tract such as Mucus or Phlegm, mixed with Saliva, which can then be spat Later, as the actual cause was assigned to micro-organisms, the term diagnosis included the causality, e. g. , pnuemococcal pneumonia, suggesting not only a spectrum of symptoms but also a cause for the symptoms.

Advances in medicine could be described as a shift from definition #1 to definition #2 as scientific causalities were discovered. This differentiation of the term diagnosis is critically important because widespread disagreement exists between medical and psychiatric practitioners as to whether causalities for various diseases and disorders are known or not. If causalities are assumed to be known, then authentic cures can be obtained by correcting the causal abnormalities. If causalities are assumed to be unknown, then palliative treatments to reduce symptoms are the best treatments possible.

Diagnosis covers a broad spectrum, or spectra, of testing in some form of analysis; collective reasoning using such tests is called the method of diagnostics, leading then to the results of those tests by ideal (ethics) would then be considered a diagnosis, but not necessarily the correct one. A spectrum (plural spectra or spectrums) is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary infinitely within a continuum. A collective is a group of people who share or are motivated by at least one common issue or interest or work together on a specific project(s to achieve a common objective Reasoning is the cognitive process of looking for Reasons for beliefs conclusions actions or feelings An ideal is a Principle or value that one actively pursues as a goal.

In medicine, diagnosis or diagnostics is the process of identifying a medical condition or disease by its signs, symptoms, and from the results of various diagnostic procedures. Medicine is the art and science of healing It encompasses a range of Health care practices evolved to maintain and restore Human Health by the A disease is an abnormal condition of an organism that impairs bodily functions and can be deadly A Sign is an indication of some fact or quality and a medical sign is an objective indication of some medical fact or quality that is detected by a Physician A symptom' (from Greek σύμπτωμα, "accident misfortune that which befalls" from συμπίπτω, "I befall" from The conclusion reached through this process is called a diagnosis. The term "diagnostic criteria" designates the combination of signs, symptoms, and test results that allows the doctor to ascertain the diagnosis of the respective disease.

Typically, someone with abnormal symptoms will consult a physician, who will then obtain a history of the patient's illness and examine him for signs of disease. A physician, medical practitioner or medical doctor who practices Medicine, and is concerned with maintaining or restoring human Health A patient is any person who receives medical attention care or treatment. The physician will formulate a hypothesis of likely diagnoses and in many cases will obtain further testing to confirm or clarify the diagnosis before providing treatment.

Medical tests commonly performed are measuring blood pressure, checking the pulse rate, listening to the heart with a stethoscope, urine tests, fecal tests, saliva tests, blood tests, medical imaging, electrocardiogram, hydrogen breath test and occasionally biopsy. A medical test is a kind of Medical procedure performed to detect, diagnose, or evaluate Disease, disease processes susceptibility and determine Blood pressure is also the title of a short story by Damon Runyan in Guys and Dolls and Other Stories In Medicine, a person's pulse is the throbbing of their arteries. The stethoscope (from Greek στηθοσκόπιο, of στήθος stéthos - chest and σκοπή skopé - examination) is an acoustic A urinalysis (or "UA" is an array of tests performed on Urine and one of the most common methods of Medical Diagnosis. A stool test is one where fecal matter is collected for analysis to diagnose the presence or absence of a medical condition A blood test is a laboratory analysis performed on a Blood sample that is usually extracted from a Vein in the arm using a needle, or via Medical imaging refers to the techniques and processes used to create Images of the human body (or parts thereof for clinical purposes ( Medical procedures seeking to A hydrogen breath test (or HBT) is used as a clinical medical Diagnosis for people with Irritable bowel syndrome, and common Food intolerances A biopsy (in Greek: βίος life and όψη look/appearance is a Medical test involving the removal of cells or tissues

Contents 1 Etymology 2 Relationship of diagnosis to medical practice 3 Diagnostic procedure 4 History of medical diagnostics 4.1 Ancient Egypt 4.2 Ancient Babylonia 4.3 Ancient Greece 4.4 Medieval Persia 4.5 The Oslerian ideal 4.6 Garrod's view 4.7 Present-day Oslerian practice 4.8 Influence of DNA technology 5 See also 5.1 Lists 6 References 7 External links

Etymology

The word diagnosis (/daɪəgˈnəʊsɪs/) is derived through Latin from the Greek word διάγιγνῶσκειν, meaning to discern or distinguish. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly ^[1] This Greek word is formed from διά, meaning apart, and γιγνῶσκειν, meaning to learn.

The verb is to diagnose and a person who diagnoses is called a diagnostician.

Relationship of diagnosis to medical practice

A physician's job is to know the human body and its functions in terms of normality (homeostasis). A physician, medical practitioner or medical doctor who practices Medicine, and is concerned with maintaining or restoring human Health Human homeostasis refers to the body's ability to regulate its internal physiology to maintain stability in response to fluctuations in the outside environment The four cornerstones of diagnostic medicine, each essential for understanding homeostasis, are: anatomy (the structure of the human body), physiology (how the body works), pathology (what can go wrong with the anatomy and physiology) and psychology (thought and behavior). Anatomy (from the Greek anatomia, from ana separate apart from and temnein, to cut up cut open is a branch of Biology that is the consideration Physiology (from Greek grc φύσις physis, "nature origin" and grc -λογία -logia) is the study of the mechanical physical Pathology (from Greek grc πάθος pathos, "fate harm" and grc -λογία -logia) is the study and Psychology (from Greek grc ψῡχή psȳkhē, "breath life soul" and grc -λογία -logia) is an Academic and Once the doctor knows what is normal and can measure the patient's current condition against those norms, she or he can then determine the patient's particular departure from homeostasis and the degree of departure. This is called the diagnosis. Once a diagnosis has been reached, the doctor is able to propose a management plan, which will include treatment as well as plans for follow-up. From this point on, in addition to treating the patient's condition, the doctor educates the patient about the causes, progression, outcomes, and possible treatments of his ailments, as well as providing advice for maintaining health.

It should be noted however, that medical diagnosis in psychology or psychiatry is problematic. Apart from the fact that there are differing theoretical views toward mental conditions and that there are few "lab" tests available for various major disorders (e. g. , clinical depression), a causal analysis with respect to symptomatology and disorder/disease is not always possible. As a result, most if not all mental conditions, function as both symptoms as well as disorders. There are often functional descriptions provided for psychological disorders and these are vulnerable to circular reasoning due to the etiological fuzziness inherent of these diagnostic categories. (BDG, 2006)

Diagnostic procedure

Diagnosis is a fluid process in which the physician responds to information garnered from the patient and others, from a physical examination of the patient, and from medical tests performed upon the patient.

The doctor should consider the patient in his 'well' context rather than simply as a walking medical condition. This entails assessing the socio-political context of the patient (family, work, stress, beliefs), in addition to the patient's physical body, as this often offers vital clues to the patient's condition and its management.

The process of diagnosis begins when the patient consults the doctor and presents a set of complaints (the symptoms). A symptom' (from Greek σύμπτωμα, "accident misfortune that which befalls" from συμπίπτω, "I befall" from If the patient is unconscious, this condition is the de facto complaint. The doctor then obtains further information from the patient himself (and from those who know him, if present) about the patient's symptoms, his previous state of health, living conditions, and so forth.

Rather than consider the myriad diseases that could afflict the patient, the physician narrows down the possibilities to the illnesses likely to account for the apparent symptoms, making a list of only those conditions that could account for what is wrong with the patient. Illness (sometimes referred to as ill-health or ail) can be defined as a state of poor Health. A disease is an abnormal condition of an organism that impairs bodily functions and can be deadly These are generally ranked in order of probability.

The doctor then conducts a physical examination of the patient, studies the patient's medical record, and asks further questions as he goes, in an effort to rule out as many of the potential conditions as possible. Physical examination or clinical examination is the process by which a Health care provider investigates the body of a Patient for signs A medical record, health record, or medical chart is a systematic documentation of a Patient 's Medical history and care. When the list is narrowed down to a single condition, this is called the differential diagnosis, and provides the basis for a hypothesis of what is ailing the patient. A differential diagnosis (sometimes abbreviated DDx, ddx

Unless the physician is certain of the condition present, further medical tests are performed or scheduled (such as medical imaging), in part to confirm or disprove the diagnosis but also to document the patient's status to keep the patient's medical history up to date. A medical test is a kind of Medical procedure performed to detect, diagnose, or evaluate Disease, disease processes susceptibility and determine Medical imaging refers to the techniques and processes used to create Images of the human body (or parts thereof for clinical purposes ( Medical procedures seeking to Consultations with other physicians and specialists in the field may be sought. If unexpected findings are made during this process, the initial hypothesis may be ruled out and the physician must then consider other hypotheses.

Despite all of these complexities, most patient consultations are relatively brief, because many diseases are obvious, or the physician's experience may enable him to recognize the condition quickly. Another factor is that the decision trees used for most diagnostic hypothesis testing are relatively short. In Operations research, specifically in Decision analysis, a decision tree (or tree diagram is a decision support tool that uses a graph or

Once the physician has completed the diagnosis, he explains the prognosis to the patient and proposes a treatment plan which includes therapy and follow-up (further consultations and tests to monitor the condition and the progress of the treatment, if needed), usually according to the guideline provided by the medical field on the treatment of the particular illness. Prognosis (older Greek πρόγνωσις modern Greek πρόγνωση - literally fore-knowing foreseeing) is a medical term denoting the A medical guideline (also called a clinical guideline, clinical protocol or clinical practice guideline) is a document with the aim of guiding decisions

Treatment itself may indicate a need for review of the diagnosis if there is a failure to respond to treatments that would normally work.

History of medical diagnostics

The history of medical diagnosis began in earnest from the days of Imhotep in ancient Egypt and Hippocrates in ancient Greece but is far from perfect despite the enormous bounty of information made available by medical research including the sequencing of the human genome. Imhotep (sometimes spelled Immutef, Im-hotep, or Ii-em-Hotep, circa ( fl Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now Hippocrates of Cos II or Hippokrates of Kos ( ca. 460 BC – ca The term ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca For the sense of "sequencing" used in Electronic music, see the Music sequencer article The human genome is the Genome of Homo sapiens, which is stored on 23 chromosome pairs The practice of diagnosis continues to be dominated by theories set down in the early 20th century.

Ancient Egypt

An Egyptian medical textbook, the Edwin Smith Papyrus written by Imhotep (fl. Ancient Egyptian Medicine refers to the practices of healing common in Ancient Egypt from Circa 3300 BC until the Persian The Edwin Smith Papyrus is the only surviving copy of part of an Ancient Egyptian Textbook on trauma Surgery. Imhotep (sometimes spelled Immutef, Im-hotep, or Ii-em-Hotep, circa ( fl 2630-2611 BC), was the first to apply the method of diagnosis to the treatment of disease. ^[2]

Ancient Babylonia

A Babylonian medical textbook, the Diagnostic Handbook written by Esagil-kin-apli (fl. Babylonia was an Amorite state in lower Mesopotamia (modern southern Iraq) with Babylon as its capital 1069-1046 BC), introduced the use of empiricism, logic and rationality in the diagnosis of an illness or disease. In Philosophy, empiricism is a theory of Knowledge which asserts that knowledge arises from Experience. Logic is the study of the principles of valid demonstration and Inference. Rationality as a term is related to the idea of Reason, a word which following Webster's may be derived as much from older terms referring to ^[3] The book made use of logical rules in combining observed symptoms on the body of a patient with its diagnosis and prognosis. Prognosis (older Greek πρόγνωσις modern Greek πρόγνωση - literally fore-knowing foreseeing) is a medical term denoting the ^[4] He described the symptoms for many varieties of epilepsy and related ailments along with their diagnosis and prognosis. Epilepsy is a common chronic Neurological disorder that is characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures. Illness (sometimes referred to as ill-health or ail) can be defined as a state of poor Health. ^[5]

Ancient Greece

Over two thousand years ago, Hippocrates recorded the association between disease and heredity. Hippocrates of Cos II or Hippokrates of Kos ( ca. 460 BC – ca In similar fashion, Pythagoras noted the association between metabolism and heredity (allergy to Fava beans). "Pythagoras of Samos" redirects here For the Samian statuary of the same name see Pythagoras (sculptor. Metabolism is the set of Chemical reactions that occur in living Organisms in order to maintain Life. The medical community, however, has only recently acknowledged the importance of genetics and its relevance to mainstream medicine. Genetics (from Ancient Greek grc-Latn genetikos, “genitive” and that from grc-Latn genesis, “origin” a discipline of Biology, is Medicine is the art and science of healing It encompasses a range of Health care practices evolved to maintain and restore Human Health by the

Medieval Persia

Avicenna (980-1037), in The Canon of Medicine, pioneered the idea of a syndrome in the diagnosis of specific diseases. TemplateInfobox Muslim scholars --> ( Persian /ابو علی الحسین ابن عبدالله ابن سینا (born The Canon of Medicine ( Arabic: القانون في الطب Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb " The Law of Medicine " Persian In Medicine and Psychology, the term syndrome refers to the association of several clinically recognizable features signs (observed by a physician ^[6]

The Oslerian ideal

The ideals of William Osler who transformed the practice of medicine in the early 1900s were based on the principles of the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Sir William Osler 1st Baronet ( July 12, 1849 &ndash December 29, 1919 Age 70 was a Canadian Physician. A disease is an abnormal condition of an organism that impairs bodily functions and can be deadly According to Osler, the functions of a physician were to be able to identify disease and its manifestations, understand its mechanisms, how it may be prevented and how it may be cured. A physician, medical practitioner or medical doctor who practices Medicine, and is concerned with maintaining or restoring human Health For his medical students he believed that the best textbook was the patient himself – analysis of morbid anatomy and pathology were the keys. Anatomy (from the Greek anatomia, from ana separate apart from and temnein, to cut up cut open is a branch of Biology that is the consideration Pathology (from Greek grc πάθος pathos, "fate harm" and grc -λογία -logia) is the study and The Oslerian ideal continues today, as the basis of the Doctor’s strategy is, "What disease does this patient have and what is the best way for treatment?" The emphasis is on the classification of the disease in order to use the remedies available for its effects to be reversed or ameliorated. The human being in question is representative of a class of people with this type of disease whereas the biological individuality of this person is not given any great weight.

Garrod's view

The successor to William Osler as Regius Professor at Oxford was Archibald Garrod. Sir Archibald Edward Garrod was an English Physician who pioneered the field of inborn errors of metabolism. Garrod echoed the observations of his Greek counterparts of two millennia ago, . . . our chemical individualities are due to our chemical merits as well as our chemical shortcomings; and it is more nearly true to say that the factors which confer upon us our predispositions to and immunities from various mishaps which are spoken of as diseases, are inherent in our very chemical structure; and even in the molecular groupings which confer upon us our individualities, and which went into the making of the chromosomes from which we sprang. A chromosome is an organized structure of DNA and Protein that is found in cells. Because Garrod practiced in the early 1900s, well before the knowledge of DNA encoding genes that in turn encoded proteins responsible for bodily structure and functions were discovered, it took some time before medicine could fully appreciate the fundamental importance of his concept of diagnosis. Deoxyribonucleic acid ( DNA) is a Nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known History See also History of genetics The existence of genes was first suggested by Gregor Mendel (1822-1884 who in the 1860s studied inheritance Proteins are large Organic compounds made of Amino acids arranged in a linear chain and joined together by Peptide bonds between the Carboxyl

Present-day Oslerian practice

Whereas Osler laid the founding principles by which medicine should be practiced, Garrod placed these principles in a greater context of a chemical individuality that is inherited and is subject to the mechanisms of evolutionary selection. A chemical substance is a Material with a definite chemical composition. eVolution is the third Album by eLDee, it was due to be released in 2008 The Oslerian ideal of medical practice continues to dominate medical philosophy today. The patient is a collective of symptoms to be characterized and analyzed algorithmically in order to draw a diagnosis and subsequently produce a strategy of treatment. A symptom' (from Greek σύμπτωμα, "accident misfortune that which befalls" from συμπίπτω, "I befall" from In Mathematics, Computing, Linguistics and related subjects an algorithm is a sequence of finite instructions often used for Calculation Medicine is about problems based solutions. In keeping with this philosophy, today's pathology reports provide a momentary snapshot of the patient's biochemical profile, highlighting the end result of the disease process. Biochemistry is the study of the chemical processes in living Organisms It deals with the Structure and function of cellular components such as

Influence of DNA technology

Garrod's conception of biological individuality was confirmed with the advent of the sequencing of the human genome. Finally the subtle relationship between inheritance, individuality and environment became apparent via the variations detected in DNA. In each patient's DNA lies a script for how their bodies will change and become ill as well as how they will handle the assaults of the environment from the beginning of their life to its end. It is hoped that by knowing a patient's genes that the biological strengths and weaknesses in respect to these assaults will be revealed and disease processes can be predicted before they have the opportunity to manifest. Although knowledge in this area is far from complete, there are already medical interventions based on this. More importantly, the physician, forewarned with this knowledge can guide the patient towards appropriate lifestyle changes to anticipate and mitigate disease processes.

See also

Diagnosis codes Differential diagnosis Diagnosis of exclusion Diagnosis (artificial intelligence) Diagnosis-related group Disease Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Doctor-patient relationship Etiology International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD) Medical classification Medical history Medical imaging Medical record Medical test Biopsy Blood pressure Blood tests Diagnostic testing Electrocardiogram Fecal tests Fecal occult blood test Fecal fat test Genetic testing Hydrogen breath test Pulse Saliva tests Stethoscope Urine tests and urinalysis

Medicine Mental illness Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy Misdiagnosis and medical error Nocebo Nosology Nursing diagnosis Overdiagnosis Pathogenesis Pathology Patient Physical examination Physician Preimplantation genetic diagnosis Prenatal diagnosis Prognosis Pulse diagnosis Reasoning applicable to diagnosis: Abductive reasoning Common sense Deductive reasoning Defeasible reasoning Inductive reasoning Inference Inquiry Retroduction Remote diagnostics Self diagnosis Therapy Trashcan diagnosis

Lists

List of diseases List of disorders

List of medical symptoms Category:Diseases

References

External links

• Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy

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