Which term refers to the time in early development of disease; patient knows of change but signs nonspecific; labs negative?

• A. Latent
• B. Prodromal
• C. Subclinical
• D. Lysis

Answer: (B)

The prodromal phase is the early stage of disease when the patient notices a change and feels something is off, but the signs are nonspecific and not yet diagnostic. During this time, laboratory tests are often negative because the disease process hasn’t produced specific findings or fully manifested yet. This fits the scenario where there’s patient‑perceived change without clear clinical signs and with normal labs. Latent implies a dormant infection with no ongoing symptoms; subclinical means the disease is present but without noticeable symptoms; lysis is not a standard phase of disease progression.