Research Article
Clinical judgment in the diagnosis and management of frequency and dysuria in general practice.
Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1984; 288 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.288.6427.1347 (Published 05 May 1984) Cite this as: Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1984;288:1347- T C O'Dowd,
- J E Smail,
- R R West
Abstract
In a study of 40 women with the urethral syndrome and 46 women with conventional urinary tract infection, none of whom was pregnant, general practitioners predicted the diagnosis correctly before the report on the midstream urine specimen was received, as evidenced by their management. They seemed to do this by balancing the symptom of dysuria with the psychological make up of the patient: patients with the urethral syndrome suffered appreciably less dysuria than patients with urinary tract infection; patients with the urethral syndrome suffered appreciably more psychological illness. This ability to distinguish between the two disorders has important clinical and economic implications.