Acute chest pain station
FSP/KP pack: patient interview + handover + documentation
Theory
Theory 1: Station focus
Chest pain stations test emergency recognition, targeted history, risk stratification and clear escalation.
- Pain character and radiation.
- Dyspnoea, sweating, nausea or syncope.
- ECG/troponin need and cardiovascular risk factors.
Theory 2: Reasoning path
Treat acute coronary syndrome as a time-sensitive differential until dangerous causes are excluded.
- Identify the immediate risk.
- Choose the safest first action.
- Explain why the distractors are weaker.
Theory 3: Expected output
The candidate should take focused history, name the red flags, start urgent assessment and hand over clearly.
- Focused pain history.
- ABCDE, ECG and troponin.
- Senior escalation and monitored setting.
Vocabulary and model dialogue
Doctor: Where exactly is the pain, and does it travel anywhere?
Patient: It is in the middle of my chest and goes to my left arm.
Doctor: Because of these symptoms, I need to do an ECG urgently and involve a senior doctor.
Practice
Practice 1: Stem analysis
A 58-year-old patient has central chest pain radiating to the left arm with sweating and shortness of breath.
Output: Age, timing, symptoms, vital risk and one missing question.Practice 2: First action
Choose the first safe action: ABCDE assessment, urgent ECG, oxygen only if hypoxic, IV access and senior escalation.
Output: One action plus clinical reason.Practice 3: Differential
Compare Suspected acute coronary syndrome with two alternatives.
Output: Three-line differential table.Practice 4: Exam response
Write a patient explanation and a 60-second doctor handover.
Output: Patient explanation + SBAR handover.Interactive tasks
Interactive 1: Red-flag sort
Sort findings from "Acute chest pain station" into urgent and non-urgent details.
Interactive 2: Distractor removal
Remove the least plausible option from: Uncomplicated reflux, Simple muscle strain, Routine outpatient review.
Interactive 3: Timed response
Give a 90-second exam answer using the station output steps.
Quiz
Radiation, autonomic symptoms and dyspnoea make acute coronary syndrome the safest working diagnosis.
The safest answer addresses the immediate clinical risk first.
Exam documentation must record the detail that changes management.
Safe exams include patient understanding and escalation advice.
The station expects a short, defensible clinical chain.