For each presenting symptom, finding, or laboratory value the columns list
the suggested differential diagnosis based on level of competence.
|
Presenting symptom, finding, or laboratory value
|
Core pediatric level
|
Mastery level
|
|
Cough and/or wheeze
|
Asthma
|
Allergic rhinitis
|
| |
Bronchiolitis
|
Chlamydia pneumonia
|
| |
Community acquired pneumonia
|
Cystic fibrosis
|
| |
Croup
|
Gastroesophageal reflux (GERD)
|
| |
Viral upper respiratory tract infection
|
Laryngomalacia and tracheomalacia
|
| |
|
Pertussis
|
| |
|
Tuberculosis
|
| |
|
|
|
Fever without a focus
|
Bacteremia/sepsis
|
JRA
|
| |
Meningitis
|
malignancy
|
| |
Occult bacteremia
|
|
| |
Urinary tract infection
|
|
| |
Viral illnesses
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Sore Throat
|
Group a streptococcal pharyngitis
|
Peritonsillar abscess
|
| |
Mononucleosis
|
Retropharyngeal abscess
|
| |
Postnasal drip
|
|
| |
Viral upper respiratory tract infection
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Otalgia
|
Otitis media, Acute and Recurrent
|
Dental caries
|
| |
Otitis media with effusion
|
Foreign body of the canal
|
| |
Otitis externa
|
Mastoiditis
|
| |
|
Pharyngitis
|
| |
|
TMJ syndrome
|
| |
|
|
|
Rhinorrhea
|
Allergic rhinitis
|
Nasal foreign body
|
| |
Sinusitis
|
|
| |
Viral URI.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Fever and rash
|
Group A streptococcal infection
|
drug reaction
|
| |
Kawasaki disease
|
JRA
|
| |
meningococcemia
|
Lyme disease
|
| |
viral exanthem
|
Rickettsial disease
|
| |
|
Toxic shock syndrome
|
| |
|
|
|
Abdominal pain
|
Appendicitis
|
Bowel obstruction
|
| |
Constipation/encopresis
|
Cholecystitis
|
| |
Gastroenteritis
|
Dysmenorrhea
|
| |
HSP
|
Gastritis
|
| |
intussusception
|
Incarcerated hernia
|
| |
Pelvic inflammatory disease
|
Inflammatory bowel disease
|
| |
Urinary tract infection/pyelonephritis
|
Malignancy
|
| |
|
Malrotation and volvulus
|
| |
|
Ovarian or testicular torsion
|
| |
|
Pancreatitis
|
| |
|
Peptic ulcer disease
|
| |
|
pregnancy
|
| |
|
|
|
Diarrhea
|
Gastroenteritis
|
Celiac Disease
|
| |
|
Clostridium difficile infection
|
| |
|
Encopresis
|
| |
|
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
|
| |
|
Malabsorption
|
| |
|
Toddlers diarrhea
|
| |
|
|
|
Vomiting
|
Gastroenteritis
|
Bowel obstruction
|
| |
Gastroesophageal reflux
|
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia
|
| |
Pyloric stenosis
|
Diabetic Ketoacidosis
|
| |
UTI/pyelonephritis
|
Eating disorder
|
| |
|
Hepatitis
|
| |
|
Inborn errors of metabolism
|
| |
|
Inborn errors of metabolism
|
| |
|
Intracranial process (increased intracranial pressure)
|
| |
|
Meningitis
|
| |
|
poisoning
|
| |
|
Pregnancy
|
| |
|
Volvulus/malrotation
|
| |
|
|
|
Rash
|
Atopic dermatitis
|
drug reaction
|
| |
Contact dermatitis
|
erythema toxicum
|
| |
cellulitis
|
molluscum contagiosum
|
| |
impetigo
|
warts
|
| |
lice
|
|
| |
monilial infections
|
|
| |
scabies
|
|
| |
seborrhea
|
|
| |
urticaria
|
|
| |
viral enanthem
|
|
| |
viral exanthem
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Limp or extremity pain
|
developmental dysplasia of the hip
|
Acute rheumatic fever
|
| |
fracture
|
Henoch Schönlein purpura
|
| |
Legg-Calve-Perthes disease
|
JRA
|
| |
Nursemaid elbow
|
Lyme disease
|
| |
Osgood Schlatter disease
|
malignancy
|
| |
Osteomyelitis
|
reactive arthritis
|
| |
Septic arthritis
|
sickle cell crisis
|
| |
Slipped capital femoral epiphysis
|
|
| |
transient synovitis
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Headache
|
meningitis
|
Brain tumor
|
| |
tension headache
|
concussion
|
| |
|
hydrocephalus
|
| |
|
increased intracranial pressure
|
| |
|
metabolic disorders
|
| |
|
|
|
Seizures
|
febrile seizures
|
idiopathic seizures
|
| |
|
meningitis
|
| |
|
post traumatic seizure
|
| |
|
toxic ingestions
|
| |
|
|
|
Bruising
|
trauma
|
coagulopathy
|
| |
|
leukemia
|
| |
|
|
|
Petechiae/purpura
|
ITP
|
leukemia
|
| |
sepsis
|
coagulopathy
|
| |
trauma
|
rickettsial infection
|
| |
vasculitis
|
|
| |
viral infections
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Heart murmur
|
innocent murmur
|
anemia
|
| |
|
CHF
|
| |
|
myocarditis
|
| |
|
PDA
|
| |
|
valvular defects
|
| |
|
|
|
Lymphadenopathy
|
Bacterial adenitis
|
Cat scratch disease
|
| |
Streptococcal pharyngitis
|
HIV
|
| |
Viral illnesses (general or specific such as EBV)
|
Kawasaki disease
|
| |
|
Malignancy
|
| |
|
Mycobacterial adenitis
|
| |
|
|
|
Splenomegaly
|
Malignancy (e.g. leukemia)
|
Hemolytic anemia
|
| |
Mononucleosis
|
Sickle cell anemia (infancy)
|
| |
|
Systemic infectious diseases
|
| |
|
|
|
Hepatomegaly
|
hepatitis
|
congestive heart failure
|
| |
|
inborn errors of metabolism
|
| |
|
systemic infectious diseases
|
| |
|
|
|
Abdominal mass
|
hydronephrosis
|
|
| |
malignancy
|
|
| |
pregnancy
|
|
| |
stool
|
|
| |
|
|
|
White pupillary reflex
|
cataracts
|
|
| |
retinoblastoma
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Red or wandering eye
|
conjunctivitis
|
allergy
|
| |
strabismus
|
esotropia
|
| |
|
exotropia
|
| |
|
foreign body
|
| |
|
trauma
|
| |
|
|
|
Anemia
|
iron deficiency anemia
|
anemia of chronic disease
|
| |
sickle cell anemia
|
bone marrow failure
|
| |
thalassemia
|
hemolytic anemia
|
| |
|
hemolytic uremic syndrome
|
| |
|
malignancy
|
| |
|
|
|
Hematuria
|
glomerulonephritis
|
benign familial hematuria
|
| |
trauma
|
hemolytic uremic syndrome
|
| |
UTI
|
hypercalciuria
|
| |
|
|
|
Proteinuria
|
nephrotic syndrome
|
transient proteinuria
|
| |
orthostatic proteinuria
|
glomerulonephritis
|
| |
|
|
|
Positive Mantoux skin test
|
latent tuberculosis
|
non-tuberculosis mycobacterial infection
|
| |
active tuberculosis
|
|
