Ask Dr. Austin

The term “differential diagnosis” is often used incorrectly by both native and non-native English writers. “Running a differential diagnosis” is the process of distinguishing between medical conditions on a differential list, based on a patient’s symptoms. The physician first builds a differential diagnosis list of all of the possible diseases that could cause the patient’s

The term “within normal limits” is often used by medical professionals when discussing findings for specific patients. It is a very useful expression and is often underused in medical writing. “Within normal limits” can describe physical exam findings, laboratory results, and medical images. The abbreviation “WNL” can reduce the word count when describing laboratory results

When writing a manuscript, you need to research your target journal, anticipate any potential points of confusion, and add short clarifying descriptions where needed. This is particularly true when government medical systems are involved. The Japanese medical system includes unique elements, and many of your readers will be unfamiliar with that system, so you have