Wastebasket diagnosis
Wastebasket Diagnosis
Wastebasket diagnosis (pronunciation: /ˈweɪstˌbɑːskɪt daɪəgˈnəʊsɪs/) is a term used in the medical field to describe a diagnosis given to a patient when their symptoms do not match any known disease or condition.
Etymology
The term "wastebasket diagnosis" is derived from the metaphorical use of a "wastebasket" as a place where things are discarded or not dealt with properly. In this context, it refers to a diagnosis that is given when a doctor cannot find a specific cause for a patient's symptoms, and thus "throws" the case into the "wastebasket" of unsolved medical mysteries.
Related Terms
- Differential diagnosis: The process of distinguishing a particular disease or condition from others that present similar clinical features.
- Idiopathic: A term used when the cause of a disease or condition is unknown.
- Symptom: A physical or mental feature that is regarded as indicating a condition of disease, particularly such a feature that is apparent to the patient.
- Diagnosis: The identification of the nature of an illness or other problem by examination of the symptoms.
Usage
The term "wastebasket diagnosis" is often used in a pejorative sense, implying that the doctor has given up on finding a specific cause for the patient's symptoms. However, it can also be used in a more neutral sense, to describe a situation where a specific diagnosis cannot be made despite thorough investigation.
It is important to note that a wastebasket diagnosis does not mean that the patient's symptoms are not real or that they are imagined. It simply means that the cause of the symptoms is unknown.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Wastebasket diagnosis
- Wikipedia's article - Wastebasket diagnosis
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