He Medical diagnostic Is the process in which the existence of a disease or physical condition in the human body is determined.
To arrive at an accurate diagnosis it is necessary to collect and contrast information about the patient. This information is obtained through medical history, symptoms, signs and complementary studies.
Types of diagnosis according to the method
To arrive at a definitive diagnosis it is necessary to collect enough information on the patient's condition. The necessary data are variable according to each disease, so it is necessary to apply different methods for each case.
These are the types of diagnoses that exist according to the method used:
Clinical diagnosis
The clinical diagnosis is one that is established in the medical consultation based on the analysis of the patient's history, symptoms and signs presented on the physical examination.
The symptom Are subjective evidences of the disease. That is, they are those that the patient mentions but the doctor can not verify objectively. Pain, tiredness and anxiety Are some examples.
The Signs Are objective evidence of the disease. That is, they are all those that the doctor can check through observation, auscultation or touch. Fever or an allergic reaction are examples of symptoms.
The clinical diagnosis has lost ground due to the technological advances that allow access to accurate information on the patient's condition.
However, it remains crucial for the physician to be able to determine which complementary tests to apply.
Laboratory diagnostics
The laboratory diagnosis is one that is reached through the analysis of the different fluids and tissues of the human body.
This includes blood, urine, and stool tests, as well as tissue biopsies.
This type of diagnosis is based on different chemical, bacteriological and microscopic techniques.
It is important to note that there are no 100% reliable laboratory tests. Usually, the degree of reliability reaches 95%.
This implies that the results of laboratory tests should always be checked against other data such as signs and symptoms to confirm a diagnosis.
Diagnostic imaging
Diagnostic imaging is one that allows visualizing the inside of the body to obtain information about a given condition.
There are different instruments and techniques, which in turn produce different types of images. The type of study depends on the symptoms observed by the physician in the clinical and organ analysis that is required to be observed.
Some of these techniques are:
- X-rays
- CT scans
- Images by magnetic resonance
- Ultrasound
- Endoscopies or laparoscopies
Remote diagnostics
The remote diagnosis or telediagnóstico, is the one that is obtained when the patient is not in the presence of the doctor.
This type of diagnosis is typical of telemedicine and uses different technological resources so that the professional can observe the signs and symptoms in the most faithful way possible.
These technological resources are very diverse and can range from a photograph or a teleconference, when the symptom can be perceived visually, to remote diagnostic technologies such as thermometers, stethoscopes or oximeters connected to computerized systems.
Diagnosis of exclusion
The diagnosis of exclusion is one to which one arrives after discarding all possible diseases.
This situation occurs in diseases or conditions that do not have a specific test to confirm them. Therefore, to arrive at a definitive diagnosis it is necessary to discard all the diseases that present the same symptoms.
A condition that is detected by means of a diagnosis of exclusion is irritable bowel syndrome.
There is no specific test to detect it, so to detect it are performed laboratory studies to rule out celiac disease, anemia Or infections.
This type of diagnosis is often applied in psychiatric disorders where it is necessary to rule out possible physical conditions before a psychic cause can be established.
Diagnosis of provocation
It is that diagnosis that is reached by inducing an episode of the disease in a controlled manner. It is applied in cases where there is no laboratory or imaging test that allows the detection of the disease with complete certainty.
Most allergies can be detected through this type of diagnosis. The procedure consists in subjecting the patient to the influence of the allergen to see if a reaction occurs.
For example, to detect cold urticaria, a piece of ice is applied to the forearm for 10 minutes. If swelling, redness and itching occur, the diagnosis can be confirmed.
Differential diagnosis
It is a type of diagnosis that is reached thanks to the detection of a minimum difference between two or more possible diagnoses.
This type of opinion requires great skill on the part of the doctor. It requires a great knowledge of the symptoms of different diseases, the different medical tests that you should apply and deduction skills.
For example, different types of epilepsy often require differential diagnosis. To do this, it is necessary for the doctor to know the manifestations of the different types of epilepsy And to conduct the appropriate examinations for each of them.
Types of diagnosis according to evolution
The diagnostic process can have a variable evolution time. There are diseases or easily detectable medical conditions that can be identified almost immediately, but there are also others that can take even years to be diagnosed.
For this reason, there is a classification of the diagnosis according to its evolution:
Initial diagnostic
It is the first diagnosis made by the doctor and is usually based exclusively on clinical analysis.
This first opinion may be wrong, but it is fundamental because it is the basis for another type of analysis to help determine the disease with certainty.
Partial diagnosis
The partial diagnosis is one that has different evidences that support it but still can not be confirmed.
Definitive diagnosis
It is the final diagnosis, when the doctor has reached the certainty of a condition or illness. There are diseases that do not have a definitive test to be detected, therefore never reach the definitive diagnosis.
References
- Medicinet. (S.F.) What is the difference between a symptom and a sign? Retrieved from: medicinenet.com.
- Medline Plus. (S.F.). Diagnostic Imaging. Retrieved from: medlineplus.gov.
- . The art of diagnosis. Retrieved from: medigraphic.com.
- Novás, J. (S.F.). Medical diagnosis: bases and procedures. Retrieved from: bvs.sld.cu.
- Rakel, R. (2017). Diagnosis. Retrieved from: britannica.com.