surgical sieve (mnemonic)
A surgical sieve is an approach to differential diagnosis that prompts the user to consider various types of pathologies systematically. A surgical sieve does not need to be a mnemonic , although many find it easier to remember it when a mnemonic is used. Various versions of this mnemonic exist:
- 5I 3-Scotland
- MIDNIT
- VINDICATE
- VITAMIN CDEF
- NAIVE MD DICTionary
Mnemonics
5I 3-Scotland
Where "3-Scotland" relates to the three top killers in Scotland.
- I: infection
- I: inflammation
- I: immune
- I: iatrogenic
- I: idiopathic
- 1: vascular/cardiovascular
- 2: cancer
- 3: trauma
MIDNIT
This mnemonic is used in one of the House M.D. episodes (Paternity):
- M: metabolic
- I: inflammation
- D: degenerative
- N: neoplastic
- I: infection
- T: trauma
VINDICATE
- V: vascular
- I: infection
- N: neoplasm
- D: degenerative or drugs
- I: iatrogenic or intoxication
- C: congenital
- A: autoimmune
- T: trauma
- E: endocrine/metabolic
VITAMIN CDEF
- V: vascular
- I: infective
- T: traumatic
- A: autoimmune
- M: metabolic
- I: iatrogenic
- N: neoplastic
- C: congenital
- D: degenerative
- E: endocrine
- F: functional
Some use a subset of the above, such as VITAMIN or VITAMIN CD.
NAIVE MD DICTionary
- N: neoplastic
- A: autoimmune/allergic (inflammatory)
- I: infectious
- V: vascular
- E: environmental toxin exposure
- M: metabolic (endocrine, nutritional, biochemical)
- D: drugs
- D: degenerative
- I: iatrogenic (procedural/surgical)
- C: congenital/developmental
- T: traumatic
