DIAGNOSIS CHECKLIST
for Cold-like symptoms

Why: to determine if acute or chronic.

Why: e.g. intermittent fever of malaria, Epstein-Barr virus and ascending cholangitis; continuous fever is common with viral infections such as influenza; remittent fever where temperature returns towards normal for a variable period but is always elevated may occur with pelvic abscess, wound infection and cancer; undulant fever where bouts of fever for several days are followed by several days of normal temperature occur with brucellosis infection and lymphomas.

Why: overseas travelers or visitors may have special or even exotic infections.

Why: e.g. AIDS, Rheumatic fever, pneumonia, immunodeficiency, cancer.

Why: may suggest post-operative complication e.g. wound infection, aspiration pneumonia, lung collapse, urinary catheter related urinary tract infection, intra-abdominal abscess.

Why: drugs can cause fever, presumably due to hypersensitivity e.g. allopurinol, antihistamines, barbiturates, cephalosporins, cimetidine, methyl dopa, penicillins, isoniazid, phenytoin, procainamide, salicylates, sulphonamides; some drugs can suppress the immune system and increase risk of infections e.g. cancer chemotherapy agents.

Why: may help to determine risk of HIV, hepatitis, syphilis, pelvic inflammatory disease e.g. AIDS patients pose a special risk for infections including opportunistic infections.

Why: e.g. tiredness, sore runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, slight fever; sometimes headache, hoarseness and cough.

Why: e.g. fever, chills, headache, generalized muscle aches and pains followed by sore throat, dry cough and runny nose.

Why: e.g. facial pain and tenderness, toothache, postnasal drip, nasal obstruction, runny nose, cough and fever.

Why: would suggest pyelonephritis, abscess around the kidney or abscess in the prostate.

Why: may suggest common cold, influenza, sinusitis, pneumonia, lung abscess, bronchiectasis or tuberculosis.

Why: can help determine focus of pathology or infection.

Why: e.g. vaginal, penile, anal, tooth, ear, nasal.

Why: may help determine cause of cold like symptoms.