Station - Instructions for candidate
You are a junior doctor working in a general practice in Perth.
Eleni Papadopoulos, a 46-year-old violinist and music teacher, has booked an urgent appointment because she woke two days ago with her left ear feeling blocked and a ringing sound in it, and she cannot hear properly on that side. She has no ear pain. An otoscope, a 512 Hz tuning fork and a pen torch are on the table.
| Observations (practice nurse) | BP 124/78 mmHg, HR 72 /min, temperature 36.8 degrees C |
|---|---|
| From the booking note | Left ear blocked and ringing since waking on Monday. Wants it syringed. No pain. |
Your tasks are to:
- Perform a focused examination of her ears, including otoscopy and tuning fork tests, and a screening examination of the relevant cranial nerves. Verbalise each step to the examiner; findings will be provided as you perform them.
- Summarise your findings to the examiner and state your most likely diagnosis and the differential diagnoses.
- Outline your initial management plan to the examiner.
- You do NOT need to take a full history; the relevant history is in the booking note and the patient will answer brief clarifying questions.
- Please verbalise your examination to the examiner.
- You do not need to write a prescription or referral letter in this station.
This is a 10-minute station, with 2 minutes of reading time.