Patient Presentations

Summary: <br> Patient presentations are the single most important skill to develop for your Emergency Medicine rotation.<br> <br> <br> <br> General Principles<br> <br> <br> <br> * Stay focused, thorough, and organized* Write out the basic 8-step presentation for reference<br> <br> <br> <br> The 8-Step Patient Presentation<br> <br> <br> <br> * Summary statement* Demographics* Risk factors/Past medical history* Chief complaint* History* OPQRST* Try to give at least 4 descriptors* This is for billing reasons* Pertinent positives/negatives* Give approximately 5 most pertinent symptoms* Vitals* Physical exam* Give approximately 3 MOST pertinent findings * Differential diagnosis* Briefly argue for/against* Include both most likely and most dangerous* Testing plan* Treatment plan* This is the most commonly forgotten step of presentation<br> <br> <br> <br> Additional Reading<br> <br> <br> <br> * Abdominal Pain Presentation – History <a href="http://www.emclerkship.com/abdominal-pain-pbl-part-1/">(EM Clerkship)</a>* Abdominal Pain Presentation – Exam, Plan, and Disposition <a href="http://www.emclerkship.com/abdominal-pain-pbl-part-2/">(EM Clerkship)</a>* Patient Presentations in Emergency Medicine <a href="https://www.emra.org/students/advising-resources/patient-presentations/">(EMRA)</a><br>