Patient Presentations

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Patient presentations are the single most important skill to develop for your Emergency Medicine rotation.

General Principles

• Stay focused, thorough, and organized
• Write out the basic 8-step presentation for reference

The 8-Step Patient Presentation

1. Summary statement
   • Demographics
   • Risk factors/Past medical history
   • Chief complaint
2. History
   • OPQRST
   • Try to give at least 4 descriptors
     • This is for billing reasons
3. Pertinent positives/negatives
   • Give approximately 5 most pertinent symptoms
4. Vitals
5. Physical exam
   • Give approximately 3 MOST pertinent findings
6. Differential diagnosis
   • Briefly argue for/against
   • Include both most likely and most dangerous
7. Testing plan
8. Treatment plan
   • This is the most commonly forgotten step of presentation

Additional Reading

• Abdominal Pain Presentation – History (EM Clerkship)
• Abdominal Pain Presentation – Exam, Plan, and Disposition (EM Clerkship)
• Patient Presentations in Emergency Medicine (EMRA)