Name: Susan Miller
Age: 55 years
Gender: Female
Chief Complaint: Acute confusion for 6 hours
Setting: Emergency room with full imaging (CT, MRI, etc.) and
laboratory capabilities
Date and Time: July 16, 2025, 12:06 PM EAT
Case Overview
This case study, designed for Week #8 of the i-Human platform, focuses
on a 55-year-old female presenting to the emergency room with acute
confusion for 6 hours, requiring a complete clinical evaluation and
management plan in an acute care setting with advanced diagnostic
capabilities. The objectives are to:
, Obtain a comprehensive history, including collateral information
from family or witnesses, to characterize the onset, progression,
and associated symptoms of acute confusion, considering risk
factors and comorbidities in a middle-aged adult.
Perform a targeted neurologic, mental status, and systemic
physical examination to identify focal deficits, systemic signs, or
life-threatening causes of altered mental status (AMS).
Formulate a broad differential diagnosis for acute confusion,
prioritizing life-threatening conditions (e.g., stroke, hypoglycemia,
meningitis) using clinical findings and risk stratification tools (e.g.,
NIH Stroke Scale, AEIOU TIPS mnemonic).
Select and interpret appropriate diagnostic tests, leveraging the
ER’s full imaging and laboratory capabilities, to confirm the
diagnosis and rule out serious conditions.
Develop an evidence-based, patient-centered management plan
to stabilize the patient, address the underlying cause, and plan for
, follow-up care, incorporating psychosocial support and family
involvement.
The case emphasizes rapid assessment and prioritization of life-
threatening causes of acute confusion in a middle-aged adult,
integrating neurologic assessment, systemic evaluation, and acute
care interventions tailored to the patient’s risk factors and clinical
presentation.
Case Details
History of Present Illness (HPI)Susan Miller, a 55-year-old female, was
brought to the emergency room by her husband with a chief complaint
of acute confusion for 6 hours. The history was obtained from the
patient (limited by confusion) and her husband (primary historian).
Details are as follows:
Onset: Symptoms began abruptly 6 hours ago (July 16, 2025,
~6:00 AM EAT) while at home preparing breakfast.