Patient interview

How to interview a patient with flank pain

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

Flank pain is often a kidney stone or infection. In older adults, an aortic aneurysm must be ruled out.

Step by step

  1. Check stability

    Pale, sweaty, low blood pressure or older age with sudden pain: think aortic aneurysm and call for help. [1]

  2. Introduce yourself and get consent

    Let the patient find a comfortable position. [2]

  3. Character

    Waves of severe pain, restless patient, suggests a stone; constant ache with fever suggests infection. [3]

  4. Radiation

    From the flank to the groin or testicle. [3]

  5. Urine and fever

    Blood in urine, burning, frequency, fever and chills. [1]

  6. History

    Past stones, kidney disease, pregnancy, diabetes. [1]

  7. Summarize and plan

    Explain pain control, urine tests and imaging. [2]

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

9 VMS cases train this skill: open the case library

Sources

  1. NCCPA PANCE Content Blueprint
  2. AAMC Core Entrustable Professional Activities (Core EPAs)
  3. NBOME COMLEX-USA clinical presentations

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.