physical diagnosis

diagnosis /di·ag·no·sis/ (di″ag-no´sis) the determination of the nature of a case of a disease or the distinguishing of one disease from another.diagnos´tic

---

clinical diagnosis  diagnosis based on signs, symptoms, and laboratory findings during life.

differential diagnosis  the determination of which one of several diseases may be producing the symptoms.

physical diagnosis  diagnosis based on information obtained by inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation.

serum diagnosis  serodiagnosis.

---

physical diagnosis

n.

Diagnosis based on a physical examination of a patient.

---

physical diagnosis,

the diagnostic process accomplished by the study of the physical manifestations of health, disease, and illness revealed in the physical examination, as guided by the patient's complete history and supported by various laboratory tests. Physical diagnosis is to medicine what the health assessment is to nursing.

---

diagnosis

a name given to a disease so that each veterinarian means the same syndrome as every other veterinarian. It is then possible to prescribe for and make a prognosis about any one case on the basis of the outcomes in a series of animals with the same diagnosis. A diagnosis may be the name of a disease with a specific etiology, or one which is only a description of the morphological identity of the disease, a pathoanatomical diagnosis, or be a syndrome which is a description of the total symptomatology, or a single clinical sign.

---

clinical diagnosis

diagnosis based on clinical signs and laboratory findings during life.

computer assisted diagnosis

a computer program identifies the diseases that fit the identified abnormalities best.

differential diagnosis

the determination of which one of several diseases may be producing the signs observed.

etiological diagnosis

identifies the specific cause of the disease.

pathoanatomical diagnosis

diagnosis to the point of identifying the system and organ involved and the nature of the lesion, but short of identifying the cause.

physical diagnosis

diagnosis based on information obtained by inspection, palpation, percussion and auscultation.

radiological diagnosis

a good radiological report does more than report findings. It interprets these findings if possible up to the point of making a pathoanatomical diagnosis (see above).

veterinary diagnosis

diagnosis performed by a veterinarian and based on information gleaned from a variety of sources, including (1) findings from a physical examination, (2) interview with the owner or custodian of the animal, (3) veterinary history of the patient and its cohorts and (4) paraclinical findings as reported by pertinent laboratory tests and radiological studies.

---

physical

pertaining to the body, to material things, or to physics.

---

physical agent

the physical causes of disease. Includes altitude, radiation, wetness, exercise, fire, electricity including lightning.

physical diagnosis

a preliminary diagnosis made solely on the basis of a physical examination. Often all that is possible in private practice.

physical examination

examination of the bodily state of a patient by ordinary physical means, as inspection, palpation, percussion and auscultation.

physical exhaustion

see physical exhaustion.

physical findings

results of a physical examination. Observations made visually, by auscultation, palpation, smell, percussion, succussion and ballottement.

physical fitness

quality of being able to perform physically, to turn in a good physical performance. Best tested by performance but in horses can be vaguely predicted by a series of tests including hemoglobin content of blood, heart size, duration of the QRS interval on an ECG, and low levels of muscle enzymes in blood.

physical insults

physical agencies that cause disease. These include trauma, stress (physical as in stress fracture of long bones in horses), hyperthermia (as a cause of congenital defects), persistent wetting, high altitude, lightning stroke, electrocution, bushfire and fire injury, volcanic eruption and exposure to radiation.

physical map

in genetics, determination of the array of genes within a DNA segment of a chromosome.

physical restraint

the use of halters, collars and chains, ropes, harness, twitches of various sorts, squeeze cages, hog holders, dog catchers and many more devices. As distinct from the use of analeptic agents—chemical restraint.

physical stress

see stress.

physical therapist

one who is skilled in the physical and therapeutic techniques of helping to alleviate suffering from muscle, nerve, joint and bone diseases and from injuries and to overcome or prevent disabilities. Among the procedures used by the physical therapist are exercise to increase strength, endurance, coordination, and range of motion; electrical stimulation to activate paralyzed muscles; massage, vibrators and many other patented devices to try to improve the circulation and condition of a part. Called also physiotherapist.