The Approach to the Undifferentiated Patient

Welcome to Bread and Butter Emergency Medicine; a back to basics, chief-complaint-based podcast series where we get a chance to pick the brains of various faculty members and residents regarding their plan of attack for a particular presenting symptom.  Imagine your first shift in the emergency department (or think back on it if you’ve been doing this for a while); a man or woman with the label of “chest pain” or “headache” or “medication refill” is sat down in front of you, staring at you through the glass of your workstation. 

From Ken Jarvis - https://www.flickr.com/photos/kenjarvisphotos/5362408312

Are they sick? 

Are they not? 

Why are they staring at you?

How can you quickly and safely find out so the other twenty people in the waiting room can have their turn?

In this, our first episode, we are joined by Dr. Matthew Stull for a discussion regarding his approach to the undifferentiated patient.  Whether you are a medical student learning the ropes, an off service resident starting your first shift in the ED, or a new intern looking for a bit of review after taking a break from patient care, take a moment to hear how Dr. Stull likes to coordinate his efforts to obtain an unbiased history and physical from which to form an expedited assessment and plan.