Virtual Patients: Stomach cramps and anemia

This Virtual Patients lesson is relevant for medical students and professionals working in health care. In this lesson, a young patient in a hospital with severe abdominal pain is submitted to an acute abdomen procedure. What blood tests and other examinations are needed? How to interpret a large number of laboratory values? What is the differential diagnosis? You have to decide about a neurological examination. Is the option of an occupational intoxication worthwhile to be elaborated?

The lesson contains 32 cards, which guide you through the phases of diagnosing the patient and educates you about the risks, possible consequences, and treatments. The cards of the lesson provide descriptive texts and various medical data. Often, cards present a task or question. After sending an answer, feedback is given. After passing all cards, you will get a red or green mark (enough correct answers). If you are following a regular course in Munich, a tutor can give comments. Certain terms are explained. The lesson is given in English and Spanish.

General information about Virtual Patients & Work

The series of cases for medical students and physicians-in-training for Occupational Medicine has been developed by the Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine at the LMU university (Munich, Germany). The cases, developed in 2006-2013, are still present-day in many countries, and useful for education. Nevertheless, cases might be not up-to-date or valid everywhere, for example regarding diagnostic procedures, risk assessment tools, therapeutic interventions, or figures like incidence rates. Differences may be caused by differences in time periods, contextual conditions, or populations. Discussion about such aspects in a group, with a colleague, or with a teacher, is an essential part of the learning experience.

Practical. Clicking the link below connects to the Casus website. Make an account going to ‘/Register/’. Use your e-mail address as LOGIN, fill in a personal password. When registration is completed, LOGIN again, select if needed the English language (see, under your name, ‘Options’, ‘Language’). Go to ‘Player’, you see ‘Courses available’, select ‘Virtualpatient-Work.Net – English course’. Select the case ‘Stomach cramps and anemia’. You can complete a case once. Changing answers after completing is not possible.

Language(s):

English, Spanish

Original Authors:

J. Reichert, R. Wegner, K. Radon, D. Nowak

Original affiliation, ownership:

Clinical centre of the University of Munich Institute of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, LMU, Munich, Germany

Year of publication:

2006

Charge for use or free:

Free of charge

Categories:

Target group(s):

graduate students, OSH experts; or in training

Usefulness for non-OSH-expert professionals:

More or less useful for non-OSH-expert professionals in health care or other sectors; or in training

Time demand to complete the lesson or course:

1.5 – 2 hour

Comments:

See the CASUS website for other case lessons. The lessons can be attended and completed online for free. No material may be copied. During the session, some private data will be stored. The learning materials can only be used if the user accepts these conditions prior to attending the online lesson.

Intellectual property and copyright:

Before downloading, changing, disseminating and/or using the lessons and courses, please look carefully at the conditions given by the authors or owners of the materials related to copyright or creative common conditions or other conditions for the downloading, changing, further dissemination and kind of use of the materials (non-commercial vs. commercial).

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