In listing a patient’s potential conditions, which term is typically abbreviated as Dx?

• A. Differential Diagnoses
• B. Differential Diagnosis
• C. Diagnosis
• D. Data

Answer: (C)

Dx is the shorthand for diagnosis. In medical documentation, Dx labels the disease or condition that has been identified or is being considered as the final or working diagnosis after evaluation. Differential diagnoses—the list of possible conditions being considered—are usually written as DDx (to distinguish them from the final diagnosis). Data is unrelated to this abbreviation. So when you see Dx, it points to the diagnosis rather than to the set of potential conditions.