Dx stands for which medical term?

Dx stands for which medical term?

• A. Disorder
• B. Disease
• C. Condition
• D. Diagnosis

Answer: (D)

In medical shorthand, Dx is used to denote diagnosis—the conclusion reached about what condition or disease is causing the patient's signs after evaluation and testing. It’s the label assigned after identifying the problem, not the problem itself. Disorder, disease, and condition are names for types of health problems—a disorder is an abnormal function, a disease is a specific pathological process, and a condition is a general state of health. None of these are the act of figuring out what the patient has; that act is the diagnosis, which is what Dx stands for.

In medical shorthand, Dx is used to denote diagnosis—the conclusion reached about what condition or disease is causing the patient's signs after evaluation and testing. It’s the label assigned after identifying the problem, not the problem itself.

Disorder, disease, and condition are names for types of health problems—a disorder is an abnormal function, a disease is a specific pathological process, and a condition is a general state of health. None of these are the act of figuring out what the patient has; that act is the diagnosis, which is what Dx stands for.