Patient interview

How to interview a patient with an allergic reaction

Other platforms explain it with text and video. In VMS you practice it on the patient.

MD / DOPANursing (NCLEX)EMS (NREMT)
Practice it in VR with Blocky

First decide if it is anaphylaxis. If yes, give epinephrine before more questions.

Step by step

  1. Is it anaphylaxis?

    Breathing trouble, throat tightness, low blood pressure or fainting: give epinephrine now. [1]

  2. Introduce yourself and get consent

    Short questions. [2]

  3. Trigger

    Food, medicine, sting, latex, new product. [3]

  4. Timing

    Minutes after exposure suggests a true allergy. [3]

  5. Symptoms

    Hives, swelling, itching, vomiting, wheeze. [4]

  6. Past reactions

    Previous reactions and how severe; asthma. [4]

  7. Plan

    Avoid the trigger, epinephrine auto-injector teaching, referral to allergy. [1]

Common errors

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

8 VMS cases train this skill: open the case library

Sources

  1. NASEMSO National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines
  2. AAMC Core Entrustable Professional Activities (Core EPAs)
  3. NBOME COMLEX-USA clinical presentations
  4. 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.