Hickam's dictum
Hickam's dictum is a principle in medicine that states a patient can have as many diagnoses as necessary to fully explain all the symptoms they are experiencing. It is named after Dr. John Hickam, a former chairman of the Department of Medicine at Indiana University.
Pronunciation
Hickam's dictum is pronounced as "Hick-um's dictum".
Etymology
The term is named after Dr. John Hickam, who was a strong advocate for the principle that a patient may have multiple conditions contributing to their symptoms, rather than a single disease.
Related Terms
- Occam's Razor: A principle from philosophy that suggests the simplest explanation is usually the correct one. In medicine, this is often interpreted as a preference for a single unifying diagnosis rather than multiple co-existing conditions. Hickam's dictum is seen as a counterpoint to this principle.
- Differential Diagnosis: The process of distinguishing a particular disease or condition from others that present with similar clinical features.
- Comorbidity: The presence of one or more additional conditions co-occurring with a primary condition.
See Also
References
- Hickam JB. The complexity of diagnosis. Trans Stud Coll Physicians Phila. 1960;28:41-50.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Hickam's dictum
- Wikipedia's article - Hickam's dictum
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