Station - Instructions for candidate
You are an intern in the Emergency Department of a Perth metropolitan hospital.
Salvatore Rossi, a 64-year-old truck driver, presents to the Emergency Department with three days of worsening breathlessness and cough. The triage nurse has recorded his observations and a brief history. You are asked to assess him.
| Triage observations | RR 30, HR 106, BP 138/84 mmHg, SpO2 88% on room air, temperature 37.8 C |
|---|---|
| Triage note | Patient reports a heavy cough for three days that is worse than usual, productive of greenish-yellow phlegm. Usually manages similar episodes at home without medical care. Lives alone, heavy smoker. |
Your tasks are to:
- Take a focused history from the patient.
- Perform a focused examination of the respiratory system. Describe to the examiner what you would look for or examine and the relevant findings will be provided to you.
- Request appropriate investigations. Results will be provided by the examiner if appropriately indicated.
- Interpret the results provided to you.
- Discuss your diagnosis and initial management plan with the examiner.
- You do NOT need to summarise your history and examination findings to the examiner before giving your diagnosis.
- Findings will be provided by the examiner on request.
This is a 15-minute station, with 2 minutes of reading time.