Intro to diagnosis/managment Flashcards
The process of clinical reasoning is: Collaborative Reflective Conscious Unconscious All of the above
All of the above
Clinical reasoning is based on what aspects (3)?
- Clinical findings
- Patient choices
- The clinician’s judgment (knowledge, experience, evidence)
Pattern Recognition (system 1) of problem-solving methods -
- “Forward reasoning”
- Faster
- More efficient
- Developed “scripts” or prototypes
Hypothetico-Deductive (System II) of problem-solving methods -
- “Backward reasoning”
- Heavy Reliance in Novice Practice
- Utilized by experts when faced with unfamiliar presentations
Mixed (diagnostic reasoning) of problem-solving methods most common in what level of clinicians?
Most common among expert clinicians
Probabilistic reasoning -
ex: Hx of ACL injury ->
- Assessing likelihood of a clinical hypothesis
- Statistic
- Approximated
ex: high probability of degenerative ACL
Causal reasoning uses inferences from _____ findings to reason a _____ relationship of variables.
- Inferences from clinical findings
- Cause and effect relationships of variables
- Based on normal/abnormal physiology
Case-based reasoning -
- Knowledge stored in a symbolic “script”
2. “Script” recalled in subsequent encounters with similar circumstances
Narrative reasoning -
Concerns the understanding of patients’ stories in order to gain insight into their:
- Experiences of disability or pain
- Their subsequent beliefs, feelings, and health behaviors
Strategy of seeking data to reduce suspicion of unlikely hypothesis
Elimination strategy
Negative likelihood ratio -
What values are of importance?
ex: Canadian c-spine rules
how many times more likely a negative test will be seen in those with the disorder than those without the disorder
Values <0.2 of importance
Values < 0.1 of significant importance
ex: Canadian c-spine rules - if test in negative then we can rule out need for x-rays
T/F Low negative likelihood ratio is good earlier in examination.
True rule out serious or other health conditions
Strategy seeking data to support a highly likely hypotheses
Confirmation strategy
positive likelihood ratio -
What values are of importance?
ex: Wainner’s Test Item Cluster for cervical Radiculopathy
how many times more likely a positive test will be seen in those with the disorder than those without the disorder
Values >5 of importance
Values >10 of significant importance
ex: Wainner’s Test Item Cluster for cervical Radiculopathy - if positive, will likely have diagnoses
T/F High positive likelihood ratio is good earlier in examination.
False, high positive is good but administered later in examination
What type of tests aids in narrowing hypothesis and therefore examination procedures?
Special tests
Tests with low (-) Likelihood Ratio (-LR) good to -
refute a diagnostic hypothesis
Tests with high + Likelihood Ratio (+LR) good to
confirm a diagnostic hypothesis
Discrimination Strategy -
- seeking information to discriminate between likely hypotheses
- We will have strategies that help us be confident with one diagnosis over another
Ockham’s Razor
the simplest solution may be the best
Hickam’s Dictum
Patients can have as many diseases as they d[ar]n well please
What are the steps of Diagnosis: the differential process to come to a diagnostic hypothesis?
- Chart review/patient interview
- visual inspection
- systems review
- elimination tests
- structural stress testing
- palpation and joint mobility tests
- confirmation tests
What are the steps after the diagnostic hypothesis?
- Performance measures/functional improvement
- Continued testing
- Response to interventions
- Clinical progress
T/F In many cases, special clinical tests are also used early to rule out the presence of red flags or conditions
True
In the examination sequence, after the screening/sensitive testing we make our first order decision. What does that mean?
If we will treat, treat and refer, or just refer
T/F In the examination sequence, after the physical performance measures we have a high suspicion of impaired driven treatment
True
What elements do we look at for our initial hypothesis generation? (4)
- Non-Musculoskeletal Health Conditions & Serious Musculoskeletal Conditions
- Potential radicular & referral sources
- Nerve root
- Peripheral nerve injury/ entrapment
- Somatic referred pain - Screening adjacent joint regions (commonly described as joint above and below)
- Differentiating local MSK conditions
Test-retest model -
- Continuous throughout services
- Apply intervention and assess response to intervention
- Determine the implications on continued services (test further, continue with intervention, continue with complementary intervention, reassess at next visit, discontinued intervention)
Patient Specific Functional Scale (PSFS) -
Individualized measure intended to reflect functional status
1. pt identifies activities for which performance has been limited
2. pt rates performance for each task 0-10
0 = inability to perform activity
10 = ability to perform activity at same level as before injury or problem
What is the minimal detectable change for the Patient Specific Functional Scale (PSFS)?
Average score = 2 points
Single activity = 3 points
The Patient Specific Functional Scale (PSFS) is validated for individuals with health conditions that include:
- neck pain
- cervical radiculopathy
- knee pain
- LBP
Signs and symptoms consistent with a non-musculoskeletal origin or serious musculoskeletal health condition that requires referral to another clinician -
red flags
Indicate need for more extensive examination or cautions/ contraindications to certain tests/ interventions
yellow flags
Screening questions for patient interview (
- Hx cancer
- Hx smoking
- Hx Infection
- Hx Trauma
- Wt loss
- Sexual dysfunction
- LE dysesthesia/ motor impairments (bilateral v. unilateral)
- Fever
- Phoresis
- DM
- Immunocompromisation
- Fatigue
- Bowel/bladder dysfunction
Category 1 factors that require immediate medical attention:
- Blood in sputum
- Loss of consciousness
- Neuro deficit not explained by monoradiculopathy
- Numbness/paresthesia in perianal region
- Path changes to bowel/bladder
- Pulsatile abdominal masses
Category 2 factors that require subjective questioning and precautionary examination and treatment procedures
- Age > 50
- Clonus
- Fever
- Gait deficits
- Hx of infection/hemorrhage
- Hx of metabolic bone disorder
- Hx of cancer
- Impairment precipitated by recent trauma
- Long term corticosteroid use
- Non healing sores or wounds
- Writhing pain
- Unexplained recent wt loss
Category 3 factors that require physical testing and differentiation analysis (UM Neuron tests)
- Abnormal reflexes
- Radiculopathy or paresthesia (uni/bilateral)
- Unexplained referred pain
- Unexplained UE LE weakness
If category 3 factors present and UM neuron tests (babinski, clonus, increased DTRs) are positive, what should you do?
consider neurosurgical/orthopedic consultation
If category 3 factors present and differentiation of referred pain what are three possibilities?
- Myelopathy (category 1) - refer out
- Somatic referred pain - treat
- Radiculopathy - Treat with caution
What aspects do you visually inspect for during physical examination? (5)
- Affect
- Anthropometrics
- Preferred positions
- Integumentary
- Posture (Symmetry, Bony/ soft contours, Resting posture vs ability to correct)
In the systems review you will test what components and defer what procedures?
- Test components that you do not plan to assess further
- Defer other procedures that you plan to test more thoroughly
Goal of a systems review?
Identify impairments for continued tests and measures:
- Cardiopulmonary
- Integumentary
- Neuromuscular (Cognition/ Affect)
- MSK
What is the difference between SYSTEMS REVIEW vs. ELIMINATION TESTS?
Ex: ULTT
- > The intent
1. Systems review - Testing body systems to determine need for further examination in “tests and measures”
2. Elimination tests - Part of “tests and measures” - Screening for health conditions commonly associated with the diagnostic hypotheses to aid in the differential process
- ex: ULTT to identify patient with UE pain of radicular origin