Table 9.1) Peripheral joints Pain and swelling The underlying aetiology of joint pain can often be determined by establishing the distribution and duration of joint involvement. Remember, arthralgia is the…

Table 6.1) Abdominal pain There are many causes of abdominal pain, and careful history taking will often lead to the correct diagnosis. The following should be considered. TABLE 6.1 Gastrointestinal…

Table 4.1) Chest pain The mention of chest pain by a patient tends to provoke more urgent attention than other symptoms. The surprised patient may find himself whisked into an…

Table 11.1). The patient should be allowed to describe the symptoms in his or her own words to begin with, and then the clinician needs to ask questions to clarify…