Case presentation: differentials, labs, drugs and teaching
Choose one condition — pneumonia, COPD, Parkinson's, pancreatitis, cholecystitis, asthma, joint replacement or psoriasis — and build a maximum eight-slide case presentation covering CC, HPI, history, ROS and PE findings, differentials with criteria, tests and expected results, medications with doses and precautions, outcomes and referral triggers, and patient teaching materials.
Editorial process
Last reviewed · August 14, 2026
Six criteria, twenty points each, eight slides
Look at the point allocation before deciding how to use eight slides. The case presentation and the differential diagnosis carry ten points each; the diagnostics, the medications, the outcomes and referral triggers, and the patient teaching materials carry twenty each. Eighty of the hundred points sit after the case is presented, so a beautiful history that leaves one crowded slide for prescribing is scored badly. Roughly one slide for the case, one for differentials, and one and a half to two for each of the twenty-point criteria is the shape that matches the rubric. Choose a condition you can be specific about rather than the most interesting one — pneumonia and asthma both have clear guideline-based workups and well-defined drug regimens, which makes the four high-value criteria straightforward to answer with real specifics rather than with generalities that could apply to almost any condition on the supplied list.
Two criteria are worded in a way that tells you what a shallow answer looks like. The diagnostics criterion asks not only which tests are ordered but what results the nurse practitioner should expect with this diagnosis, so give the expected findings, not just the test names — what the chest radiograph shows, what the white cell count does, what spirometry demonstrates before and after bronchodilator. The medication criterion asks for specific drugs, starting doses, dose ranges and precautions, which means actual numbers from a prescribing reference and the contraindications and monitoring that go with them. The outcomes criterion has two halves that are easy to conflate: expected and unexpected outcomes for the condition, and separately which patient outcomes would trigger a referral. Answer them as two things. Finally, patient teaching materials means something the patient could actually be handed, pitched at their reading level, not a list of topics to discuss.
Likely learning objectives
Inferred from the brief — check these against your own rubric.
- 01Present a clinical case concisely using CC, HPI, history, ROS and physical examination.
- 02Construct differential diagnoses with explicit supporting and excluding criteria.
- 03Specify diagnostic tests together with the results expected for the diagnosis.
- 04Prescribe with specific drugs, starting doses, ranges and precautions.
- 05Distinguish expected clinical outcomes from findings that trigger referral.
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Course-wide instructions that accompany this question
Important information for writing discussion questions and participation Hi Class, Please read through the following information on writing a Discussion question response and participation posts. Contact me if you have any questions. Important information on Writing a Discussion Question Your response needs to be a minimum of 150 words (not including your list of references) There needs to be at least TWO references with ONE being a peer reviewed professional journal article. Include in-text citations in your response Do not include quotes—instead summarize and paraphrase the information Follow APA-7th edition Points will be deducted if the above is not followed Participation –replies to your classmates or instructor A minimum of 6 responses per week, on at least 3 days of the week. 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I have also attached the classroom policies to this announcement to know your expectations for this course. Please review this document carefully and ask me any questions if you do. You could email me at any time or send me a message via the “message” icon in halo if you need to contact me. I check my email regularly, so you should get a response within 24 hours. If you have not heard from me within 24 hours and need to contact me urgently, please send a follow up text to. I strongly encourage that you do not wait until the very last minute to complete your assignments. Your assignments in weeks 4 and 5 require early planning as you would need to present a teaching plan and interview a community health provider. I advise you look at the requirements for these assignments at the beginning of the course and plan accordingly. I have posted the YouTube link that explains all the class assignments in detail. It is required that you watch this 32-minute video as the assignments from week 3 through 5 require that you follow the instructions to the letter to succeed. Failure to complete these assignments according to instructions might lead to a zero. After watching the video, please schedule a one-on-one with me to discuss your topic for your project by the second week of class. Use this link to schedule a 15-minute session. Please, call me at the time of your appointment on my number. Please note that I will NOT call you. Please, be advised I do NOT accept any assignments by email. If you are having technical issues with uploading an assignment, contact the technical department and inform me of the issue. If you have any issues that would prevent you from getting your assignments to me by the deadline, please inform me to request a possible extension. Note that working fulltime or overtime is no excuse for late assignments. 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I understand this is a lot of information to cover in 5 weeks, however, the Bible says in Philippians 4:13 that we can do all things through Christ that strengthens us. Even in times like this, we are encouraged by God’s word that we have that ability in us to succeed with His strength. I pray that each and every one of you receives strength for this course and life generally as we navigate through this pandemic that is shaking our world today. Relax and enjoy the course!
Turn the brief into deliverables
- 01A concise case including CC, HPI, history, ROS and physical examination findings.
- 02Differential diagnoses with supporting and excluding criteria.
- 03Typical tests and the results expected with this diagnosis.
- 04Specific medications with starting doses, dose ranges and prescribing precautions.
- 05Expected and unexpected outcomes, referral triggers, and patient teaching materials, in eight slides or fewer.
Case, differentials, workup, drugs, outcomes, teaching
The case
CC, HPI, relevant history, ROS and physical examination findings, concisely.
Differential diagnoses
Candidates with the findings that support and the findings that exclude each.
Diagnostics
The tests ordered and the specific results expected with this diagnosis.
Pharmacotherapy
Named drugs, starting doses, ranges, contraindications and monitoring.
Outcomes and referral
Expected and unexpected outcomes, then separately what triggers referral.
Patient teaching materials
Material the patient could be handed, at an appropriate reading level.
Clinical guidelines and prescribing references
Recommended databases
- StatPearls via NCBI Bookshelf
- MedlinePlus
- PubMed
- Current clinical practice guidelines for the chosen condition
- A prescribing reference such as the drug label
Search sequence
- 1.Choose a condition with a clear guideline-based workup and drug regimen.
- 2.Read the diagnostic approach and note the expected findings, not just the tests.
- 3.Read current guideline recommendations for first-line therapy.
- 4.Collect starting doses, ranges, contraindications and monitoring requirements.
- 5.Find patient-level material to model the teaching deliverable on.
Reference shortlist
These are authoritative starting points, not a ready-made bibliography. A qualified reviewer must confirm that each source fits the assignment and supports the claim beside which it is cited.
Nothing here is cleared for citation until you have read it.
- 01
Community-Acquired Pneumonia
StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf · 2024
A worked example of the whole chain from presentation through diagnostics to therapy.
- 02
Pneumonia
MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine · 2024
Patient-level material to model the teaching deliverable on.
- 03
Asthma
MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine · 2024
An alternative condition from the supplied list, with patient-facing material.
- 04
Evaluating Internet Health Information
MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine · 2024
Criteria for judging any material handed to a patient, which is what the teaching slide produces.
Review before submission
Common mistakes
- Spending half the slide budget on the case, which carries only ten of a hundred points.
- Listing test names without saying what results would be expected.
- Naming drug classes rather than specific drugs with actual doses.
- Omitting precautions, contraindications and monitoring from the prescribing slide.
- Merging expected outcomes with referral triggers into one list.
- Producing a list of teaching topics instead of usable patient material.
Submission checklist
- All six grading criteria are addressed.
- The presentation is eight slides or fewer, excluding title and references.
- Differentials carry both supporting and excluding criteria.
- Expected test results are stated alongside the tests.
- Doses, ranges and precautions are specific.
- Referral triggers are separate from expected outcomes, and similarity is under 15%.
Use this guide to plan and review your own work. Follow your institution's rules and read our academic-integrity policy.
Written by
Aaron Bishop
MA, Education
assignment interpretation and research-methods coaching across disciplines
Aaron leads the EssayCrackers editorial desk. He works on how assignment briefs are read — what a rubric is actually asking for, and where students most often answer a different question than the one set.
Reviewed by
Dr. Nathan Cole
PhD, Rhetoric & Composition
Argumentation and thesis development
Nathan teaches first-year composition and directs a university writing center. He reviews EssayCrackers guides for argumentative soundness and citation accuracy.