When you go to see a medical professional because you are not feeling well, you expect the professional to figure out what is wrong with you, if possible, and make you better. The differential diagnosis is a big part of that process.
The first thing that happens in a medical encounter is getting the patient’s chief complaint. Why are you here? What is bothering you?
The next thing that should happen in a typical encounter is the recording of the patient’s vital signs. Temperature, pulse rate, blood pressure and respiration rate. Sometimes the vital signs alone provide the key to