HOMOEOPATHIC CASE TAKING STRATEGIES

Which Symptom Is Most Important? A 64 year old lady presents 1 month after her mother died. She has blond hair, blue eyes, is very weepy at presentation, and asks for the window to be opened to let some air in. She has a 3 week history of back pain, which is burning, better from heat, worse for rest, and better once she gets it moving. She has angina, with left sided chest pain on minimal exertion. She craves pickles, is irritable with her family and describes a feeling as if her uterus might fall out.

§83 CASE TAKING “demands nothing of the medical-art practitioner except… freedom from bias attention while observing fidelity in recording the image of the disease”

Case Taking §84 Do not interrupt §85 Take a new line for each symptom §98 Use patient’s own words §86-89 Go back for more information later Ask only open questions §91-92 Symptom picture before intervention is important

Case Taking §93-95 MIND symptoms should be asked at the end - Aetiology - Maintaining Factors - Suicidality, living habits, stress, addictions, diet etc. §95 Chronic Disease – elicit chronic patterns the patient may think insignificant (e.g. menses, a particular cough/habit –“it’s been there so long I forgot about it”).

Case Taking - Sample Layout Presenting Complaint – patient/relative’s account Past Medical History/Drug History Family History Social/Personal History Systemic Inquiry – include sexual history Homoeopathic History

Case Taking – Homoeopathic History General Symptoms – “I” – Temp, Sweat, Time, Position Food/Appetite Thirst Sleep/Dreams Mental Symptoms

Case Taking – Homoeopathic History Mental Symptoms - Will - Understanding - Memory Mental Characteristics - Patient’s thoughts - Own Observations - ?Transference/Counter-transference Strange, Rare & Peculiar