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