Analysing a PBL case - developing learning issues
Being able to develop a learning issue is fairly straightforward. More
important is to develop a relevant learning issues. Always reflect back on
the clinical context and the assessment requirements of the past exam papers.
List of symptoms
- What are the mechanisms by which disruption of the structure of function
of the organ or physiological system produces the symptom?
- What are the different causes or mechanisms for each symptom?
List of signs
- What are the mechanisms by which disruption of the structure of function
of the organ or physiological system produces the signs?
- What are the different causes or mechanisms for each sign?
List of measured physiological parameters
- How is the physiological parameter regulated by the body?
- How does the body respond to changes to the physiological parameter?
Main anatomical regions or physiological systems involved
- What is the general structure (microscopic and gross) and function of
the part involved?
- What is its nerve and blood supply?
List of investigations
Which can be:
- Measuring a physiological parameter e.g. serum sodium, clotting time
(Physiology)
- Analysing cells and tissues (Pathology)
- Measuring molecules (endogenous or exogenous) e.g. hormones, enzymes,
administered drugs
- Real time test e.g. ECG (Physiology)
- Imaging e.g. CT (Anatomy)
- How does the test correlate with the physiology and the anatomy?
- What information does the test provide?
- How is the information interpreted?
List of diseases
- How does the disease disrupt the structure or function of the organ or
physiological system?
- What are the causes?
- What is the time course over which the disease manifests its symptoms
and signs?
- What are the possible complications?
List of drug treatments
- How does the treatment reverse the structural or functional disruptions
of the disease?
- When should it be used? Why?
- When shouldn’t it be used? Why?
- What are the side effects? Why?
List of surgical treatments
- How does the treatment reverse the structural or functional disruptions
of the disease?
- When should it be used? Why?
- When shouldn’t it be used? Why?
- What are the side effects? Why?
List of non-drug treatments
- How does the treatment reverse the structural or functional disruptions
of the disease?
- When should it be used? Why?
- When shouldn’t it be used? Why?
- What are the side effects? Why?
Glossary
- Symptom - physical or mental complaints that the patients reports e.g.
abdominal pain, palpitations, anxiety
- Sign - physical or mental abnormalities that are elicited by the
clinician's intervention or observation e.g. abdominal tenderness,
tachycardia, fidgeting
- Disease - a unique physical or mental disorder which is characterised by
specific combinations of clinical and investigative data
- Investigation - various objective tests that can be performed on body
tissue and fluids, assessments of physiological function or by medical
imaging techniques.
- Drug - a substance introduced into the body which alter a biological
process (usually to restore normal physiological or anatomical function)
- Surgery - a physical intervention to restore normal physiological or
anatomical function