How to interview a patient with wheezing
Other platforms explain it with text and video. In VMS you practice it on the patient.
Wheezing usually means asthma or COPD, but heart failure and a foreign body can also cause it.
Step by step
Check severity
Can they speak full sentences? Saturation, effort. Treat first if severe. [1]
Introduce yourself and get consent
Keep questions short. [2]
Onset and triggers
Colds, allergens, exercise, cold air, smoke, work. [3]
Night and cough
Waking at night, cough, chest tightness. [4]
Inhaler use
How often the reliever is used now; technique. [4]
Past attacks
Hospital stays, ICU, intubation (high risk). [4]
Summarize and plan
Explain treatment and an action plan. [2]
Common errors
- Long interview in a severe attack.
- Not asking about ICU history.
- Not checking inhaler use.
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.