ABPS Hospital Medicine case studies
ABPS Hospital Medicine · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The ABPS Hospital Medicine certification is a board credential offered by the American Board of Physician Specialties for physicians who practice predominantly in the hospital setting - hospitalists, internists who cover inpatient services, and clinicians who manage complex acute care transitions. It signals that a physician has demonstrated competence across the breadth of inpatient medicine rather than a single organ system, from perioperative comanagement and critical care through cardiology, pulmonary, infectious disease, nephrology, endocrinology, and gastroenterology, plus the systems work of quality improvement and patient safety. The ABPS Hospital Medicine case studies are 4 cases and about 2,454 words.
1The Hypotensive Postoperative Patient with a Normal Lactate
A 68-year-old man with hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and stable angina undergoes elective open infrarenal AAA repair under general anesthesia. His baseline creatinine is 1.1 mg/dL, LVEF 50%, and he takes metoprolol, lisinopril (held 24 hours preop), and atorvastatin.
648 words, about 3 min2Oliguria on Postoperative Day 2: Volume or Tubule?
A 74-year-old woman with CKD stage 3b (baseline creatinine 1.6 mg/dL, eGFR 34) and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction is admitted after an open reduction of a hip fracture. Intraoperatively she received 3 L crystalloid for a blood pressure that drifted to 88/50; she also received ketorolac once and contrast for a CT.
616 words, about 3 min3Agitation and Hypoxia After a Fall: Delirium or Something Else?
An 81-year-old man with mild cognitive impairment, atrial fibrillation on apixaban, and osteoarthritis is admitted after a mechanical fall with a negative head CT and no fracture. On hospital day 2 he becomes acutely agitated, pulling at lines, with fluctuating attention.
562 words, about 3 min4Fever and Hypotension on the Ward: Antibiotics and the Stewardship Question
A 63-year-old woman with cirrhosis (MELD 18), type 2 diabetes, and a recent 10-day course of ceftriaxone for a urinary tract infection is admitted with 2 days of fever and confusion. Vitals: T 38.9 C, HR 124, BP 88/54 (MAP 65), RR 26, SpO2 93% on room air.
628 words, about 3 min