A medical case write-up is a detailed report of a patient's medical history, examination, and treatment. It is typically written by a healthcare provider, such as a doctor or nurse, and is used to document the patient's care and to communicate important information to other members of the healthcare team. In this essay, we will take a look at an example of a medical case write-up to understand its purpose, structure, and content.
The patient in this example is a 60-year-old woman who presents with a cough and shortness of breath. She has a history of asthma, but her symptoms have been worsening over the past week. On examination, the patient is found to have wheezing and reduced breath sounds in her left lung. The healthcare provider orders a chest x-ray, which shows a small left pneumothorax (collapsed lung).
The medical case write-up begins with a summary of the patient's chief complaint and history of present illness. This includes information on the patient's age, gender, and relevant medical history. The write-up then moves on to the physical examination, which includes a description of the patient's vital signs, appearance, and any abnormal findings on examination. In this case, the healthcare provider notes the presence of wheezing and reduced breath sounds in the left lung.
Next, the write-up includes a discussion of the diagnostic tests that were ordered and the results of those tests. In this case, the chest x-ray was ordered, and the result was a small left pneumothorax. The write-up then discusses the diagnosis and the management plan for the patient. In this case, the diagnosis is a left pneumothorax, and the treatment plan includes placing a chest tube to re-inflate the lung and administering oxygen therapy.
The medical case write-up concludes with a summary of the patient's current status and any follow-up care that is planned. In this case, the patient's condition is stable, and she is scheduled for follow-up in one week.
In conclusion, a medical case write-up is a detailed report of a patient's medical history, examination, and treatment. It is used to document the patient's care and to communicate important information to other members of the healthcare team. The structure of a medical case write-up includes a summary of the patient's chief complaint and history of present illness, a description of the physical examination and diagnostic tests, a discussion of the diagnosis and management plan, and a summary of the patient's current status and follow-up care.