VITAMINS
acrostic/ˈvɪt.ə.mɪnz/
Clinical Reasoning
Definition
1.A "surgical sieve" for building a differential diagnosis.
Expansion
- VVascular — infarction, haemorrhage, ischaemia
- IInfective / Inflammatory — bacterial, viral, autoinflammatory
- TTraumatic — mechanical injury
- AAutoimmune — antibody- or T-cell-mediated
- MMetabolic — electrolyte, endocrine, deposition
- IIatrogenic / Idiopathic — drugs, procedures, or unknown
- NNeoplastic — benign or malignant
- SStructural / Congenital — anatomical or developmental
Notes
A surgical sieve is a way of generating differentials so you never freeze with a blank list. Run any presenting complaint through these categories and force yourself to name at least one cause per heading.
It pairs well with thinking by system (cardiac, respiratory…) — the sieve gives breadth, the system map gives depth.
Origin
Borrowing the everyday word for the all-purpose sieve every clinician keeps to hand.