Musculoskeletal history 2 Written by Leya Bedar Diagnosis: Osteoarthritis (pain, gradual onset, worse with use, improves with rest, stiffness, age, history of heavy use of joint) Differential diagnosis: Crystalline arthropathies (ie, gout and pseudogout) (joint pain, stiffness, swelling) Inflammatory arthritis (eg, rheumatoid arthritis) (joint pain, stiffness, swelling) Mark scheme for history taking can be found…
Gastrointestinal history 4 Written by Leya Bedar Diagnosis: Gastroenteritis: food poisoning (diarrhoea following eating unusual food, features of infection) Other differentials: IBS: Irritable bowel syndrome (possible due to busy life, change in bowel habit and abdominal discomfort, but unlikely due to lack of anxiety, sudden onset and infectious features) Bowel cancer (possible due to family…
Respiratory history 2 Written by Leya Bedar Diagnosis: Asthma (episodic cough, SOB, wheeze, atopy, family history of atopy, recently got a pet – common trigger) Other differentials: Bronchiectasis (cough producing mucus, less likely due to atopic features and no identifiable risk factors) Interstitial lung disease (possible due to non-productive cough and link to triggers but…
Respiratory history 3 Written by Leya Bedar Diagnosis: Pulmonary embolism (pleuritic chest pain, SOB, cough, recent surgery, signs of DVT, recent long journey) Other differentials: Acute coronary syndrome e.g. stable angina (possible due to chest pain but unlikely due to cough, pleuritic chest pain and lack of cardiovascular risk factors, past medical history and family…
Gastrointestinal history 2 Written by Leya Bedar Diagnosis: Biliary colic (due to intermittent colicky pain following meals exacerbated by eating junk food) Other differentials: Acute cholecystitis (systemic features would be present such as malaise and pyrexia) Ascending cholangitis (similar to acute cholecystitis but jaundice would also be present) Peptic ulcer disease (due to the pain…
Respiratory history 1 Written by Olivia Nwosu Diagnosis: Tuberculosis (constitutional symptoms, recent travel history) Other differentials: Lung cancer (This is the main differential, but the travel history and low amount of cigarettes make this less likely) Sarcoidosis (can produce a cough and systemic features but less likely due to no SOB and other body systems…
Gastrointestinal history 1 Written by Leya Bedar Diagnosis: Appendicitis (due to generalised pain to right iliac fossa and progression from dull to sharp suggesting peritonitis, along with exacerbating and relieving factors, anorexia, fever, and nausea) Other differentials: Ruptured ectopic pregnancy (possible cause of peritonitis but very unlikely as patient has never had sex) Ovarian torsion…
