A 48-year-old man attends the outpatient department with an acute cough. While being examined, his blood pressure is recorded and he is found to be hypertensive. This approach to detecting disease is best described as:
- A Opportunistic screening (case finding) ✓
- B Multiphasic screening
- C Mass screening
- D Surveillance
Correct answer: A. Opportunistic screening (case finding)
Explanation
Opportunistic screening or case finding means testing for one condition in a patient who presents to health services for an unrelated complaint. Mass screening is offered to a whole defined population regardless of contact with services, and multiphasic screening means applying several tests simultaneously to the same person. Surveillance is ongoing systematic collection of data, not individual detection.
Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
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