This document provides an outline for summarizing key aspects of a disease or medical condition. It includes sections to describe the general nature and organ system affected, causes and risk factors, pathology, signs and symptoms, diagnostic tests, treatment options, and populations more susceptible. For example, the causes of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) include genetic predisposition and toxins, RA involves synovial hyperplasia and joint erosion, and treatment decisions consider the severity and risks of the condition. This outline thus provides a framework for systematically summarizing the essential details about a given disease or medical problem.

1. General nature, organ system affected and important
features that differentiate it from similar conditions
Ex: RA is a severe chronic progressive
inflammatory erosive polyarthropathy primarily articular
synovitis but with systemic features.

2. Causes of disease & it’s risk factors (circumstances)
Ex: CA: genetic predisposition, toxins, viral infection
TB: mycobacterium, immune response, hygiene
Risk Factors: Something that increases a person's
chances of developing a disease.
Ex: cigarette smoking is a risk factor for lung cancer
obesity is a risk factor for heart disease.

3. Pathology:
Mechanism of disease process?
What the disease does?
How did it does the observed symptoms?
How changes in body functions from disease & response of body to same
Pathophysiology:
Disruption in normal physiological functions
Ex:
HTN involves a raised peripheral vascular resistance & possibly an expansion
of intravascular fluid volume
Pathogenesis:
Development or Progression of disease process
Ex: RA involves synovial hyperplasia followed by inflammatory cell infiltration
then articular erosion

4.  Any particular population group more susceptible (by
birth/environment/sexes/age/ethnic group)
 Incidence ( number of new cases of diseases)
 Prevalence/ morbidity (active cases of diseases at any one
time)
 Co morbidity (any other disease condition)
 epidemiology may provide clues about its etiology
Ex: incidence of stomach CA is higher in Japan than in USA but
Prevalence in Japanese immigrants to USA is similar to
Americans thus it suggest that environmental factors are
more important than the diet.

5. Symptoms:
Noticed by patient/patient complaints/elicited on questioning
Signs:
On examination by clinician or occasionally by patients
Pathognomonic:
Definitive features that is clinical features most diagnostic caused by a
particular disease
Ex: Spiking fever, stiff neck, photophobia in meningitis
Syndrome:
Well-defined group of clinical features that commonly occur together is
sometimes called a syndrome
Ex: Proteinuria, Hypoproteinaemia, Oedema together called Nephrotic
Syndrome

6. Test/Procedures to confirm diagnosis
Diagnosis
The identification of the nature of an illness or other problem
by examination of the symptoms
Lab Parameters/reports:
A medical procedure that involves testing a sample of blood,
urine, or other substance from the body. Laboratory tests can
help determine a diagnosis, plan treatment, check to see if
treatment is working, or monitor the disease over time.

7. Decisions made to deal with the patient’s complaint
Decide realistic aims based on knowledge/investigations/natural history
Treatment comprises of interventions based on drugs/ surgery/
physiotherapy
Also include: symptom control/ nursing care/ reassurance/ counseling/
palliative care
Treatment decisions based on: knowledge of severity, mortality of condition,
risk of not treating, toxicity of treatment

8. Methods of non-pharmacological include:
Counseling: Diet, Disease, Drug
Exercise
Meditation

9. Pathology and Therapeutics for Pharmacists, A basis for
clinical pharmacy 3rd Edition. Russel J. Green and Norman D.
Harris.