Whole Visit: Chest Discomfort

In practice

A middle-aged man arrives for a medication refill visit. While the medical assistant takes his history, he mentions that he has had pressure in his chest on and off since the morning. She stops the routine interview at once. She tells the provider immediately, staying with the patient and calling for help rather than leaving him alone. The provider assesses him and orders a twelve-lead ECG right away. The medical assistant explains that the test is quick and painless and sends no electricity into his body. She asks him to set aside his phone and prepares the skin. She places the limb electrodes on his arms and legs and the chest electrodes at their landmarks, then records while he lies still. She inspects the tracing for quality and hands it to the provider without reading the machine's interpretation aloud. The provider decides on the next steps, which include emergency transfer, and the practice follows its emergency protocol. The medical assistant documents the times of his report, the ECG and each action taken, as the practice's emergency documentation requires.