Proposed Terms

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From: Barry Smith [1] Sent: Sunday, August 31, 2008 8:07 PM Subject: comments on diseases, signs and symptoms?

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Diseases, Signs and Symptoms: Draft List of Proposed Definitions Richard Scheuermann, Werner Ceusters, Barry Smith

We use ‘abnormal’ to designate those bodily structures, processes or qualities which are associated to a significant degree with pain and other feelings of illness or with enhanced morbidity (the threshold degree of significance being determined by the community of clinicians).

Homeostasis =def. The events transpiring within the body fall within the range which allows bodily functioning to be sustained, and the bodily mechanisms for restoring values within the interior of this range are unimpaired.

Pathological Process =def. A biological process in a human being that is of a type standardly classified by the community of clinicians as abnormal.

Acute Pathological Process =def. A pathological process beginning with a deviation from and terminating with a return to normal homeostasis.

Disorder =def. The physical result of a change in some part of the patient that is associated with a pathological process.

Acute Disorder =def. The physical result of a change in some part of the patient that is associated with an acute pathological process.

Chronic Pathological Process =def. A pathological process that results in an adaptation on the part of the patient to a level of abnormal homeostasis.

Chronic Disorder =def. The physical result of a change in some part of the patient that is associated, absent intervention, with a chronic pathological process.

Progressive Pathological Process =def. A pathological process that begins with a deviation from homeostasis and which continues to deviate in such a way as to preclude the re-establishment of homeostasis.

Progressive Disorder =def. The physical result of a change in the patient that is associated, absent intervention, with a progressive pathological process.

Physical Examination =def. A sequence of acts of observing and measuring the physical responses of a patient on the part of a physician occurring in the context of a clinical encounter.

Sign =def. A process or quality that is observed in a physical examination and is hypothesized by the clinician as a manifestion of a disorder.

Symptom =def. A quality of the patient that is observed and can be observed only by the patient and is of the type that can be hypothesized by the patient as a manifestion of a disorder.

Laboratory Test =def. A laboratory assay that is used to test a hypothesis about a given patient, and has input: a specimen derived from the patient, and output: a certain result which represents a quality of that patient.

Laboratory Test Result =def. A representation of a quality of a specimen that is the output of a laboratory test.

Finding =def. The result of either a laboratory test or a patient self-assessment (representation, by the clinician, of a symptom as reported by the patient, in the form of an assertion that this patient has this symptom) or a clinical examination (representation, by the clinician, of a sign, in the form of an assertion that this patient manifests this sign).

Clinical Phenotype =def. A constellation of those qualities associated with a disease at each stage of its development.

Clinical Picture A representation of a clinical phenotype inferred from the constellation of findings available to the clinician about a given a patient at any given stage.

Diagnosis =def. The result of an interpretive process which has input: a clinical picture of a given patient and conclusion: an assertion of the form ‘this patient has disease or disorder such and such’.

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From: Richard H. Scheuermann , Ph.D. [2] Sent: Monday, September 01, 2008 3:59 PM Subject: Signs Symptoms and Findings Workshop: Definitions Proposed for Discussion

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Signs, Symptoms and Findings: Draft List of Definitions Proposed for Discussion

We use ‘bodily feature’ to designate biological qualities, processes or structures of an organism such as blond hair, coughing, swelling.

We use ‘clinically normal’ to designate bodily features of a human being that are typically not associated with pain or other feelings of illness, with dysfunction, or with other indications of enhanced morbidity.

We use ‘homeostasis’ to designate the state in which the bodily processes of the organism are regulated in such a way as to (1) maintain bodily features within a certain homeostatic range and (2) respond successfully to departures from this range caused by external influences. During homeostasis the organism continually assesses its current state to determine if its bodily features fall within this range.

Homeostatic Range =def. The range of types of bodily features whose maintenance is continuously sought by an organism in the state of homeostasis.

Normal Homeostasis =def. Homeostasis of a type that is clinically normal for a human being of a given type and age in a given environment.

Abnormal Homeostasis =def. Homeostasis of a type that is not normal.

Disorder =def. A bodily structure in a human being that is clinically abnormal.

Etiological Process =def. A biological process in a human being that leads to a disorder.

Pathological Process =def. A biological process in a human being that is caused by a disorder.

Acute Pathological Process =def. A pathological process terminating with a resolution of the disorder and a return to normal homeostasis.

Acute Disorder =def. A disorder that leads to an acute pathological process.

Chronic Pathological Process =def. A pathological process that results from an adaptation on the part of the patient to a level of abnormal homeostasis.

Chronic Disorder =def. A disorder that, in the absence of intervention, would typically lead to a chronic pathological process.

Progressive Pathological Process =def. A pathological process that deviates increasingly from homeostasis in such a way that the re-establishment of homeostasis is precluded.

Progressive Disorder =def. A disorder that, in the absence of intervention, would lead to a progressive pathological process.

Physical Examination =def. A sequence of acts of observing eliciting responses, and measuring the bodily features of a patient, occurring in the context of a clinical encounter.

Sign =def. A bodily feature of the patent that is observed in a physical examination and is hypothesized by the clinician to be a disorder or a manifestation of a disorder.

Symptom =def. A quality of the patient that is observed and can be observed only by the patient and is of the type that can be hypothesized by the patient as a manifestation of a disorder.

Laboratory Test =def. A laboratory assay that has as input a specimen derived from the patient, and as output a result that represents a quality of the patient.

Laboratory Finding =def. The representation of a quality of a patient that is the output of a laboratory test.

Clinical Finding =def. A representation of a bodily feature of a patient that is recorded by a clinician because the feature is hypothesized to be of clinical significance.

Clinical Phenotype =def. A constellation of those types of bodily features that are associated with a disorder at each stage of its development.

Clinical Picture =def. A representation of a clinical phenotype as instantiated in a given patient that is inferred from the constellation of laboratory and clinical findings available to the clinician about a given a patient at any given stage.

Diagnosis =def. The conclusion of an interpretive process that has as input a clinical picture of a given patient and as output an assertion to the effect that the patient has a disorder of such and such a type.

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From: Xia, Ashley (NIH/NIAID) [E] [3] Sent: Tuesday, September 02, 2008 10:54 AM Subject: RE: Signs Symptoms and Findings Workshop: Definitions Proposed for Discussion

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Hi Richard

I would like to suggest to add a concept of Homeostatic Profile. The current concept of Homeostatic Range is good for a single measure of a sign, symptom or finding. Homeostatic Profile is good for a collection of homeostatic ranges of a homeostatic state.

Ashley

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From: Kent Spackman [4] Sent: Tuesday, September 02, 2008 2:00 PM Subject: RE: Signs Symptoms and Findings Workshop: Definitions Proposed for Discussion

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Signs, Symptoms and Findings: Draft List of Definitions Proposed for Discussion

We use ‘bodily feature’ to designate biological qualities, processes or structures of an organism such as blond hair, coughing, swelling. Does this include all of anatomy?

We use ‘clinically normal’ to designate bodily features of a human being that are typically not associated with pain or other feelings of illness, with dysfunction, or with other indications of enhanced morbidity. How do we know what is “typical”?

We use ‘homeostasis’ to designate the state in which the bodily processes of the organism are regulated in such a way as to (1) maintain bodily features within a certain homeostatic range and (2) respond successfully to departures from this range caused by external influences. During homeostasis the organism continually assesses its current state to determine if its bodily features fall within this range.

Homeostatic Range =def. The range of types of bodily features whose maintenance is continuously sought by an organism in the state of homeostasis. Do organisms actually “seek” the homeostatic range?

Normal Homeostasis =def. Homeostasis of a type that is clinically normal for a human being of a given type and age in a given environment. Most findings do not specify the age or environment of the subject. Does that mean they can’t be categorized as normal?

Abnormal Homeostasis =def. Homeostasis of a type that is not normal.

Disorder =def. A bodily structure in a human being that is clinically abnormal. Does this mean that “seizure disorder” and “hypertensive disorder” are not disorders? (since they aren’t structures)?

Etiological Process =def. A biological process in a human being that leads to a disorder. What is “varicella virus infection”? Isn’t it both an etiological process (it leads to varicella pneumonia. for example), and a disorder?

Pathological Process =def. A biological process in a human being that is caused by a disorder.

Acute Pathological Process =def. A pathological process terminating with a resolution of the disorder and a return to normal homeostasis. But what about chronic bronchitis that eventually resolves? Is it still an acute pathological process? (Perhaps you need a different name)

Acute Disorder =def. A disorder that leads to an acute pathological process.

Chronic Pathological Process =def. A pathological process that results from an adaptation on the part of the patient to a level of abnormal homeostasis.

Chronic Disorder =def. A disorder that, in the absence of intervention, would typically lead to a chronic pathological process. There are many disorders that are named “chronic x” where the distinction is not about return to homeostasis but rather about the temporal duration relative to the “acute” form of the disease, regardless of whether there is eventual return to normal. (chronic ulcer, chronic pain, chronic cough, etc etc etc). These may or may not return to normal homeostasis eventually.

Progressive Pathological Process =def. A pathological process that deviates increasingly from homeostasis in such a way that the re-establishment of homeostasis is precluded.

Progressive Disorder =def. A disorder that, in the absence of intervention, would lead to a progressive pathological process.

Physical Examination =def. A sequence of acts of observing eliciting responses, and measuring the bodily features of a patient, occurring in the context of a clinical encounter. Can you do a physical examination outside the context of a clinical encounter? (What is a clinical encounter?). Sign =def. A bodily feature of the patent that is observed in a physical examination and is hypothesized by the clinician to be a disorder or a manifestation of a disorder. What if the patient observes it? What if the patient’s carer observes it? You haven’t defined “manifestation of a disorder”.

Symptom =def. A quality of the patient that is observed and can be observed only by the patient and is of the type that can be hypothesized by the patient as a manifestation of a disorder. What about “cough”? “Nausea”? How do we know whether something can be hypothesized by the patient? What if the patient is a child and doesn’t hypothesize?

Laboratory Test =def. A laboratory assay that has as input a specimen derived from the patient, and as output a result that represents a quality of the patient. What is a laboratory assay? If it is done at the bedside using POC testing device, it is not in a laboratory. Is it still a lab assay? What if it is done intraoperatively by a surgeon using an invasive monitoring device? What if the device also does imaging? Where is the boundary between laboratory assays and imaging?

Laboratory Finding =def. The representation of a quality of a patient that is the output of a laboratory test.

Clinical Finding =def. A representation of a bodily feature of a patient that is recorded by a clinician because the feature is hypothesized to be of clinical significance. What if a non-clinican records it? What if no clinician records it, but the patient records it? What if the patient notices it and recalls it, but doesn’t ever record it? What is “clinical significance”? What if it is significant to one clinician but not another?

Clinical Phenotype =def. A constellation of those types of bodily features that are associated with a disorder at each stage of its development.

Clinical Picture =def. A representation of a clinical phenotype as instantiated in a given patient that is inferred from the constellation of laboratory and clinical findings available to the clinician about a given a patient at any given stage.

Diagnosis =def. The conclusion of an interpretive process that has as input a clinical picture of a given patient and as output an assertion to the effect that the patient has a disorder of such and such a type. Need to define disorder. Also need to define “conclusion.” If I take the patient’s temperature and it is elevated, and say they have “fever”, is this a diagnosis? How do I know what is the conclusion of the interpretive process?

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From: Kent Spackman [5] Sent: Tuesday, September 02, 2008 2:00 PM Subject: RE: Signs Symptoms and Findings Workshop: Definitions Proposed for Discussion

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I haven’t spent much time examining these proposed definitions, but thought I would give you my initial ‘off-the-cuff’ reaction in the form of questions (see attached). There may be good answers to some of these questions – in fact I hope there are. But I suspect I can generate a number of additional difficult questions on further reflection. The general ‘gist’ of the terms is easy to grasp, of course, but I think it would be unwise to underestimate the degree of difficulty of getting good definitions – and getting consensus about the meanings.

I would prefer to back up a step and try to answer two questions: 1) What are the fundamental types of things for which we need ontological categories? (Do we really need to differentiate “signs” from “symptoms”?) 2) What are the criteria by which we can judge whether we have good categories and good definitions? And I’d like to propose one important criterion. It is: the degree to which ordinary clinicians can understand and reproducibly apply the definitions.

Kent Spackman

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From: Sivaram Arabandi [6] Sent: Tuesday, September 02, 2008 3:00 PM Subject: Re: Signs Symptoms and Findings Workshop: Definitions Proposed for Discussion

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I can see that the discussion is already getting off the ground and want to add a couple of thoughts. The workshop and the definitions of terms here (like 'Normal Homeostasis', 'Disorder' etc) are focused with the context 'human beings'. However the terms themselves are equally applicable in the more general sense to all animals. It may be useful to provide a broader definition because of the interplay between humans and animals (infectious diseases and their accompanying signs and symptoms - eg. rabies) as well as translational research.

Sivaram

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