ABEM EM case studies
ABEM EM · Put your knowledge to work in context.
ABEM Emergency Medicine certification is issued by the American Board of Emergency Medicine, a member board organization whose site lists a Get Certified pathway that includes a Qualifying Exam and a Certifying Exam, with subspecialty and Focused Practice Designation options alongside. Candidates typically move through the certification process as residents or practicing physicians: the Qualifying Exam is a written, multiple-choice assessment of emergency medicine knowledge, and the Certifying Exam is a separate oral examination conducted with examiners. The ABEM EM case studies are 5 cases and about 3,588 words.
1The Boarding Patient and the Disappearing Nurse
You are the night attending in a 42-bed ED. At 02:10, 9 admitted patients are boarding, 4 hallway beds are in use, and the charge nurse pulls you aside.
848 words, about 4 min2The Intoxicated Patient Who Wants to Leave
A 58-year-old man is brought in by police after being found confused on a sidewalk. He is alert but disoriented to time and place, smells of alcohol, and has a laceration to his scalp.
830 words, about 4 min3The Sepsis Bundle and the Hypotensive Patient Who 'Looks Fine'
A 71-year-old woman with hypertension and CKD stage 3 (baseline creatinine 1.6 mg/dL) presents with 2 days of dysuria and confusion. Initial vitals: T 38.6°C, HR 112, BP 96/58, RR 22, SpO2 94% on room air.
531 words, about 3 min4The Patient Who Records You
During a busy shift, a 34-year-old man with chronic abdominal pain is being evaluated for the fourth ED visit in 6 weeks. Workup to date has been repeatedly unremarkable.
706 words, about 4 min5The Resident Who Is Impaired on Shift
You are the attending on a busy evening shift. A second-year resident you are supervising has been increasingly disorganized over the past week.
673 words, about 3 min