How to interview a patient who is confused
Other platforms explain it with text and video. In VMS you practice it on the patient.
Sudden confusion is delirium until proven otherwise: a medical emergency with a cause to find.
Step by step
Check the basics
Airway, breathing, oxygen, glucose, vital signs. [1]
Introduce yourself and find someone who knows them
Family, caregiver, nursing home staff. [2]
Baseline and onset
What is normal for them, when it changed, does it come and go. [3]
Infection
Fever, cough, urinary symptoms, wounds. [4]
Medicines and substances
New medicines, opioids, sedatives, alcohol use or withdrawal, missed medicines. [4]
Head and neurology
Falls, head injury, headache, weakness, seizure. [4]
Summarize and plan
Explain tests and safety measures. [2]
Common errors
- Calling it dementia without asking about the baseline.
- Not checking glucose.
- Missing alcohol withdrawal.
Practice it in VMS
In VMS you do this on the patient, not on paper: every step goes on the checklist with a score, and in Teach mode Blocky tells you what comes next.
VMS cases that train this skill
Sources
- NASEMSO National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines
- AAMC Core Entrustable Professional Activities (Core EPAs)
- NBOME COMLEX-USA clinical presentations
- NCCPA PANCE Content Blueprint
Facts and steps follow NBOME COMLEX-USA clinical presentations; NCCPA PANCE Content Blueprint; AAMC Core Entrustable Professional Activities (Core EPAs). VMS is not affiliated with these organizations. Updated: 2026-10-11.