antenatal diagnosis


pre·na·tal di·ag·no·sis

diagnosis using procedures available for the recognition of diseases and malformations in utero, and the conclusion reached. Synonym(s): antenatal diagnosis

diagnosis

(di?ag-no'sis) (-no'sez?) plural.diagnoses [Gr. diagnosis, discernment],

dx

1. A disease or syndrome a person has or is believed to have.2. The use of scientific or clinical methods to establish the cause and nature of a person's illness or injury and the functional impairment it produces. The diagnosis forms the basis for patient care.

antenatal diagnosis

Prenatal diagnosis.

clinical diagnosis

Identification of a disease by history, physical examination, laboratory studies, and radiological studies.

cytological diagnosis

Identification of a disease based on cells present in body tissues or exudates.

differential diagnosis

Identification of a condition, disease, or illness by comparison with others that share some features, signs, and symptoms of the presenting disease but differ in some critical ways.

dual diagnosis

The presence of mental illness in a patient with a history of concurrent substance abuse.

diagnosis by exclusion

A presumptive diagnosis made by excluding diseases in the differential diagnosis, leaving one as the most likely of the alternatives even though the diagnosis is not established unequivocally.

first-listed diagnosis

Primary diagnosis.

medical diagnosis

1. The identification of the cause of the patient's illness or discomfort.2. The process of determining the unique cause of a patient's illness.

noninvasive prenatal diagnosis

Abbreviation: NIPD
Any test used to identify birth defects that relies on the analysis of blood or easily obtained body fluids.

nursing diagnosis

See: nursing diagnosis

oral diagnosis

The area of dentistry devoted to the compilation and study of the patient's dental history and a detailed clinical examination of the oral tissues and radiographs to assess oral health, with the object of developing a treatment plan to restore tooth structure and proper occlusion and to promote healing and better oral health.

pathological diagnosis

Determination of the cause or causes of an illness by examining fluids and tissues from the patient before or after death. The examination may be performed on blood, plasma, microscopic tissue samples, or gross specimens. See: autopsy; pathology

physical diagnosis

Identification of an illness or abnormality by looking at, listening to, percussing, or palpating the patient. In contemporary health care, amid much controversy, diagnostic imaging, e.g., ultrasound, has replaced many traditional physical diagnostic skills.

physical therapydiagnosis

1. The clinical classification by a physical therapist of a patient's impairments, functional limitations, and disabilities.2. The use of data obtained by physical therapy examination and other relevant information to determine the cause and nature of a patient's impairments, functional limitations, and disabilities. This information is used by the physical therapist to set goals and establish a plan of care.

preimplantation genetic diagnosis

In assisted reproduction, the testing of a fertilized egg for heritable illnesses before the ovum is inserted into the female.

prenatal diagnosis

Identification of disease or congenital defects of the fetus during gestation. A growing number of pathological conditions can be diagnosed by analyses of maternal blood and such tests as chorionic villi sampling, ultrasound, embryoscopy, amniocentesis, and fetoscopy. Thus, the gender, inherited characteristics, and current status of the fetus can be identified as early as the first trimester, helping parents in their decision-making if findings indicate an incurable disorder. Mid-trimester and last trimester tests provide information regarding the physical characteristics of the fetus and placenta, and analysis of amniotic fluid allows estimation of fetal age and maturity and may improve intrauterine management of treatable disorders. Synonym: antenatal diagnosis See: prenatal surgery

primary diagnosis

Diagnosis of the most important disease or underlying disease afflicting a patient. Synonym: first-listed diagnosis

radiographic diagnosis

Identification of an illness by the interpretation of radiographic findings.

serological diagnosis

Identification of an illness through a serological test such as that for syphilis or typhoid.

tongue diagnosis

In traditional Chinese medicine, the methodical evaluation of the appearance of the patient's tongue to determine the cause of a complaint or syndrome.