DDx
Medical abbreviation · Medical Documentation
| Stands for | Differential diagnosis |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
DDx stands for Differential diagnosis, a medical documentation abbreviation.
List of possible conditions that could explain the patient's symptoms, usually ranked by likelihood or danger, which guides testing until one diagnosis is confirmed.
Example: DDx for acute dyspnea: PE vs CHF exacerbation vs pneumonia; D-dimer and BNP ordered.
Usage notes
Also written "ddx" or "Ddx". A good differential includes "can't miss" diagnoses even when unlikely, such as aortic dissection in chest pain. Clinicians often say "the differential" for short. Premature closure, settling on one diagnosis too early, is a well-known cause of diagnostic error.
Related abbreviations
More medical documentation abbreviations
- CDI – Clinical documentation improvement
- CPOE – Computerized provider order entry
- CTM – Continue to monitor
- Cx – Culture
- D/C – Discharge
- DAR – Data, Action, Response
- DOE – Dyspnea on exertion
- DS – Discharge summary
- Dx – Diagnosis
- EHR – Electronic health record
- EMR – Electronic medical record
- ETOH – Ethanol (alcohol)
See all 79 medical documentation abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.