Diagnosis – Overview

The “art” of diagnosis is largely the ability to rank probabilities based on the incidences of likely diseases, and the chance of encountering given clinical features within each disease. The Diagnosis module allows you to indicate symptomatic findings and use these findings for making a diagnosis using GIDEON’s database. The Diagnosis tab includes the following sections:

• Lists symptoms by specific categories. Towards the bottom of the page is an information box that displays brief explanations and images when mousing over the signs and symptoms. See Symptom Selection.
  • Country selection: This scroll box is used to display the country in which the patient acquired the disease.
    • displays country synonyms list.
    • See also Country of disease acquisition
    • See also Bioterrorism simulator below
  • Incubation Period: Dates can be entered by typing in the dates, or using the calendar by clicking on . Three parameters display the time frame from the date of exposure, until the onset of the disease:
    • Disease Onset: Enter the date the disease first appeared.
    • Exposure began: Enter the date exposure began. The number of days from the first date of exposure until the onset of the disease is displayed to the right.
    • Exposure ended: Enter the date exposure ended. The number of days from the last date of exposure until the onset of the disease is displayed to the right.

  

• Lists suggestions for symptoms based on symptoms chosen in Clinical Presentation list.
• Lists symptoms chosen in the Symptoms and Signs List.
  • Removes a selected symptom from the Clinical Summary list.
• Searches the database and constructs a diagnosis based upon the selected symptoms, signs, incubation period and country of acquisition. See Diagnosis Results.
  • Compare selected diagnoses from the Diagnosis Results.
  • Excluded diseases can be selected for specific explanations of why a particular disease was not listed in the Diagnosis Results.
  • Saves a case. (Only available in individual subscription)
  • Opens a case. (Only available in individual subscription)
  • Clears all symptoms and signs  and incubation period appearing in the Clinical Summary list.
  • Prints Diagnosis results.
  • E-mails Diagnosis results.

The Bioterrorism simulator is designed for diagnosis and informatics relevant to the military and paramilitary use of human Infectious Disease agents. You will note that ‘< Bioterrorism simulator >’ is listed as a ‘Country’ in both the Diagnosis and Epidemiology modules. When clinical signs and symptoms are entered in the Diagnosis module, the resulting differential diagnosis list includes only diseases considered as potential agents of bioterrorism. Note that this list is not Bayesian; ie, all relevant diseases are assigned an equal ‘incidence’ when calculating probability. See BioTerrorism modules and BioTerror Indicator for more information.

Notes in the Epidemiology module stress the historical and epidemiological aspects of relevant diseases as they apply to bioterrorism. The Personal notes allow the user to list important contact information, literature, isolation and handling procedures, etc.