Sore throat: Differential Diagnosis by Symptom Pattern

• •Pattern of cough, dyspnea, and pleuritic pain
• •Oxygen saturation and respiratory rate
• •Auscultation findings and imaging pattern

• •Fever pattern and inflammatory signs
• •Exposure history, travel risk, and host immunity
• •Organ-localized signs vs systemic sepsis pattern

• •Prioritize red flags and severe progression first
• •Use focused history + exam to define the leading organ system

• •Sudden vs progressive neurologic deficit
• •Focal deficits, consciousness changes, and meningeal signs
• •Headache phenotype and trigger pattern

Immediate testing when red flags are present

• •Focused examination with baseline labs if symptoms persist
• •Escalate to urgent workup when red flags appear

Group-directed workup

• •Pulse oximetry
• •Chest X-ray
• •CRP / CBC
• •Spirometry in stable setting
• •CBC with differential
• •CRP / ESR
• •Targeted cultures or PCR
• •Lactate if sepsis concern