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Patient interview

How to interview a patient with a red eye

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

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

Most red eyes are conjunctivitis. Pain, reduced vision and light sensitivity point to something more serious.

Step by step

  1. Introduce yourself and check vision

    Get consent and test acuity in each eye. [1]

  2. Pain

    Gritty discomfort is common in conjunctivitis; deep pain is a warning sign. [2]

  3. Vision and light

    Blurred vision and light sensitivity are red flags. [3]

  4. Discharge

    Watery (viral), sticky yellow (bacterial), itchy (allergic). [2]

  5. Contact lenses and trauma

    Contact lens wear, foreign body, chemicals, injury. [3]

  6. Other symptoms

    Headache, vomiting, joint pain, cold sores. [3]

  7. Summarize and plan

    Explain treatment or urgent eye referral. [1]

Common errors

Practice it in Making Synapses

In Making Synapses 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.

Making Synapses cases that train this skill

11 Making Synapses cases train this skill: open the case library

Sources

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

Facts and steps follow NBOME COMLEX-USA clinical presentations; NCCPA PANCE Content Blueprint; AAMC Core Entrustable Professional Activities (Core EPAs). Making Synapses is not affiliated with these organizations. Updated: 2026-10-11.