Surgical sieve (mnemonic)

A surgical sieve is an approach to differential diagnosis that prompts the user to consider various types of pathologies systematically. A surgical sieve does not need to be a mnemonic ², although many find it easier to remember it when a mnemonic is used. Various versions of this mnemonic exist:

• 5I 3-Scotland

• MIDNIT

• VINDICATE

• VITAMIN CDEF

• NAIVE MD DICTionary

Mnemonics

5I 3-Scotland

Where "3-Scotland" relates to the three top killers in Scotland.

• I: infection

• I: inflammation

• I: immune

• I: iatrogenic

• I: idiopathic

• 1: vascular/cardiovascular

• 2: cancer

• 3: trauma

MIDNIT

This mnemonic is used in one of the House M.D. episodes (Paternity):

• M: metabolic

• I: inflammation

• D: degenerative

• N: neoplastic

• I: infection

• T: trauma

VINDICATE

• V: vascular

• I: infection

• N: neoplasm

• D: degenerative or drugs

• I: iatrogenic or intoxication

• C: congenital

• A: autoimmune

• T: trauma

• E: endocrine/metabolic

VITAMIN CDEF

• V: vascular

• I: infective

• T: traumatic

• A: autoimmune

• M: metabolic

• I: iatrogenic

• N: neoplastic

• C: congenital

• D: degenerative

• E: endocrine

• F: functional

Some use a subset of the above, such as VITAMIN or VITAMIN CD.

NAIVE MD DICTionary

• N: neoplastic

• A: autoimmune/allergic (inflammatory)

• I: infectious

• V: vascular

• E: environmental toxin exposure

• M: metabolic (endocrine, nutritional, biochemical)

• D: drugs

• D: degenerative

• I: iatrogenic (procedural/surgical)

• C: congenital/developmental

• T: traumatic