Question

You have a patient who believes his illness is about to kill him, and so you are not making much headway in trying to get details from him regarding his symptoms, which technique is acceptable to use as you interview him?

A) Reiterate any useful information he has provided and then ask for more

B) Give the patient reassurance that he is going to be okay

C) Be stern and instruct the patient to focus as he provides the information you require

D) Reduce the physical space between him and you and inform him he is likely to become worse if he cannot provide the information you require

Answer 1

The correct interviewing technique is to empathetically reiterate information given by the patient and ask for more details. Additional tests should focus on cognitive and sensory functions, and treatment would be informed by the results, potentially including aspirin therapy if a blood clot is suspected.

Step-by-step explanation:

When interviewing a patient who is distressed and believes their illness may be fatal, the acceptable technique to use is A) Reiterate any useful information he has provided and then ask for more. It is important to create a comfortable environment by providing empathy and listening actively, which may encourage the patient to provide more details about their symptoms. Giving reassurance without evidence (technique B) could be false hope, being stern (technique C) may further distress the patient, and threatening them with a worse outcome (technique D) is unethical and could exacerbate anxiety.

Further investigation of the patient's condition should include tests that assess cognitive and sensory functions (e.g., testing their ability to feel sensations like the touch of a pen or perform simple motor tasks). Treatment should be based on the results of these assessments and could include appropriate medications like aspirin therapy to prevent blood clots if an embolus is suspected.