EM Cases · ABCDE approach
Deteriorating ward patient — ABCDE resus station
ACEM Fellowship clinical-management station testing structured ABCDE assessment, parallel investigation, early escalation and reassessment after each intervention.
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Study tools
Target exams
ACEMFRCEMABEMFRCPCCCFPEMEBEEM
Prompt
A medical ward patient with rising NEWS2 who is hypoxic, tachycardic and newly confused; the candidate must run a structured ABCDE loop.
Stem
All values, findings and observations in this station are fictional and invented for teaching assessment; they do not describe a real person.
Format. Clinical-management (resus) station, 11 minutes. You are the EM/MET consultant.
Candidate instructions. Assess and resuscitate using a structured approach. Examiner plays the nurse.
References3ShowHide
- [1]Gao H, McDonnell A, Harrison DA, et al. Systematic review and evaluation of physiological track and trigger warning systems for identifying at-risk patients on the ward. Intensive Care Med, 2007.PMID 17318499
- [2]Subbe CP, Davies RG, Williams E, Rutherford P, Gemmell L. Effect of introducing the Modified Early Warning score on clinical outcomes, cardio-pulmonary arrests and intensive care utilisation in acute medical admissions. Anaesthesia, 2003.PMID 12859475
- [3]Monnet X, Messina A, Greco M, et al. ESICM guidelines on circulatory shock and hemodynamic monitoring 2025. Intensive Care Medicine, 2025.PMID 41236566