| Course | PA 526 Comprehensive Clinical Module Gastroenterology |
|---|---|
| Week | 3 |
| Paper type | Alarm feature checklist |
| Length | About 680 words, 5 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Chamberlain University |
| Program | Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for PA 526 Week 3
Alarm Feature Checklist for Upper Abdominal Symptoms in a 58-Year-Old: Twelve Rows Grouped by History, Examination and Laboratory, Each With Its Finding, What It Raises and the Action It Triggers
Student Name
Chamberlain University
PA 526: Comprehensive Clinical Module Gastroenterology
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Alarm Feature Checklist for Upper Abdominal Symptoms in a 58-Year-Old: Twelve Rows Grouped by History, Examination and Laboratory, Each With Its Finding, What It Raises and the Action It Triggers
The Presentation This List Belongs To
Upper abdominal pain or burning, with or without reflux, in an adult. The list is built for N.R., 58, who has meal-related right upper quadrant pain and years of nightly heartburn. It flags findings that would move the workup from routine to urgent. The ACG and Canadian guideline on dyspepsia sets age 60 as the threshold for endoscopy in dyspepsia and suggests that, below 60, alarm features alone are weak predictors of cancer and should prompt judgment rather than automatic endoscopy (Moayyedi et al., 2017). Difficulty swallowing is treated separately: it needs evaluation at any age.
History
Table 1
History Findings
| Finding | What it raises | Action it triggers |
|---|---|---|
| Difficulty swallowing solids, progressive | Esophageal stricture or cancer | Upper endoscopy, not a trial of medicine alone |
| Unintended weight loss of 5 percent or more in 6 to 12 months | Cancer, malabsorption | Endoscopy and further workup |
| Vomiting that is persistent or contains blood | Obstruction, bleeding ulcer | Same-day assessment |
| Black, tarry stools | Upper gastrointestinal bleeding | Hemoglobin, urgent assessment |
| Family history of upper gastrointestinal cancer in a first-degree relative | Inherited risk | Lower threshold for endoscopy |
| Age 60 or older with new dyspepsia | Cancer becomes more likely | Endoscopy per guideline |
Note. Note. N.R. reports none of these at this visit except age close to the threshold.
Examination
Table 2
Examination Findings
| Finding | What it raises | Action it triggers |
|---|---|---|
| Palpable abdominal mass | Tumor | Imaging and referral |
| Enlarged left supraclavicular node | Spread of abdominal cancer | Imaging and biopsy |
| Jaundice | Bile duct blockage or liver disease | Liver chemistry, ultrasound the same week |
| Pallor with fast pulse | Blood loss | Hemoglobin now |
Note. Note. None present on N.R.'s examination.
Laboratory
Table 3
Laboratory Findings
| Finding | What it raises | Action it triggers |
|---|---|---|
| Iron deficiency anemia | Chronic bleeding, including from cancer | Endoscopy, and colonoscopy if no upper source |
| Raised bilirubin or alkaline phosphatase | Bile duct obstruction | Ultrasound, then further imaging |
Note. Note. Results pending at the time of writing.
Three Parts to Every Line
Each row names the finding in plain terms, what it raises and what it makes the clinician do. A row without an action would be a fact, not a checklist item.
What the Checklist Is Not
It is not a diagnostic score and does not add up to a probability. The guideline found that alarm features have poor accuracy for predicting cancer in younger patients, which is why it does not recommend endoscopy for every patient with one (Moayyedi et al., 2017). A negative checklist does not rule out serious disease; it only means no item on it has been triggered today.
Ordering the Rows
Within each group the rows run roughly from most to least urgent, so a reader scanning under time pressure meets bleeding and swallowing problems before family history.
How the List Was Used at This Visit
At this visit every row was asked or checked, and none was triggered. The laboratory rows were pending, so the list was marked as incomplete until the results returned, with a note that a raised bilirubin would trigger the ultrasound the same week. N.R. was given the history rows in plain words and asked to call if any appeared before the next visit, since several of them, such as black stools or food sticking, happen at home rather than in the clinic.
Why This List Matters for N.R.
N.R. is close to 60 and has years of reflux symptoms, which the reflux guideline identifies as a reason to consider screening for Barrett's esophagus in people with additional risk factors (Katz et al., 2022). The checklist will be repeated at each visit, because N.R.'s status can change.
References
Katz, P. O., Dunbar, K. B., Schnoll-Sussman, F. H., Greer, K. B., Yadlapati, R., & Spechler, S. J. (2022). ACG clinical guideline for the diagnosis and management of gastroesophageal reflux disease. American Journal of Gastroenterology, 117(1), 27-56. https://doi.org/10.14309/ajg.0000000000001538
Moayyedi, P., Lacy, B. E., Andrews, C. N., Enns, R. A., Howden, C. W., & Vakil, N. (2017). ACG and CAG clinical guideline: Management of dyspepsia. American Journal of Gastroenterology, 112(7), 988-1013. https://doi.org/10.1038/ajg.2017.154
What the PA 526 Week 3 assignment asks for
Week three calls for a one-page checklist of alarm features for a named presentation. Begin with a short preamble naming the presentation the list belongs to and any guideline thresholds, such as an age above which investigation is routine. Group the rows by where each item is found: history, examination and laboratory. Make every row a single line with three parts: the finding, what it raises, and the action it triggers. Order the rows within each group by urgency. Add a brief section explaining what the checklist is not, for example a score or a reassurance tool. Note how the list was applied to your patient, including items still pending. Cite the guideline that frames the list, and keep each row short enough to scan quickly.
How the PA 526 Week 3 example is put together
The preamble names upper abdominal pain or burning in an adult, built for N.R., and cites the dyspepsia guideline's age threshold of 60 while treating dysphagia separately. Table 1 gives six history rows from progressive solid dysphagia to new dyspepsia at 60 or older, Table 2 four examination rows from a mass to pallor with tachycardia, and Table 3 two laboratory rows, iron deficiency anemia and raised bilirubin or alkaline phosphatase, each with what it raises and the action it triggers. A section explains the three parts of every row. Another states that the list is not a score, citing the guideline's finding on poor predictive accuracy. Rows are ordered by urgency, the application at this visit is recorded, and a final section links N.R.'s reflux history to Barrett's screening.
Reading the PA 526 Week 3 grading rubric
The marks on this checklist reward usability. A list of findings without the action each one triggers loses the largest share, because it cannot guide a decision. Faculty next look at grouping: a single undifferentiated column is marked down. Credit goes to an accurate preamble with the guideline's thresholds, and to treating special features, such as dysphagia, correctly. Rows must be short and scannable; paragraphs inside rows cost points. The section on what the checklist is not earns marks for showing its limits. Ordering by urgency is expected. Faculty also reward a note on how the list was applied to the patient. The guideline should be cited, and citations on a list are best placed in the preamble or notes rather than on every row.
Common PA 526 Week 3 mistakes, and how to avoid them
The common shortfall on this checklist is a long list of red flags with no action attached. Tell us the presentation and your template, and the checklist prepared for you would open with a preamble naming the presentation and any guideline thresholds, then group rows by history, examination and laboratory, each with finding, what it raises and the action. Rows are ordered by urgency and kept to one line. A short section explains what the list cannot do. If your template supplies its own columns, the checklist follows them. A closing note records how the list applies to your patient. Check the thresholds and actions against the guideline your course uses before relying on any row.
Get a PA-526 Week 3 example written to your instructions
Send the template your classroom supplies, columns and all, along with the presentation the list is supposed to serve, and a custom PA-526 Week 3 checklist comes back inside 24-48h with the first one free. If your section grades this alongside a short rationale, include that wording and both pieces are written together.
More PA 526 papers and MPAS samples
- PA 526 Week 1: Abdominal Region Discussion Post
- PA 526 Week 2: Abdominal Quadrant Brief
- PA 526 Week 4: Dysphagia and Reflux Case
- PA 526 Week 5: Liver Panel Interpretation
- PA 526 Week 6: Bleeding Source Triage
- PA 526 Week 7: Endoscopy Indication Write-up
- PA 526 Week 8: Hepatobiliary Case Paper
- PA 524 Week 3: Urinalysis Interpretation
- PA 522 Week 3: Paired Hormone Interpretation
- PA 520 Week 3: Obstructive Versus Restrictive Memo
- PA 518 Week 3: Pretest Probability Worksheet
PA 526 Week 3 questions, answered
How many items should the checklist have?
Sections publish very different numbers and some leave it open, so the sample matches whatever yours states. Where nothing is specified, the example keeps each group short enough that the ordering is visible, since a list of thirty rows hides its own priorities. The rule that holds regardless is that every row present has to earn its place.
My template has a column I do not understand.
Send it as it appears, including the header wording and any example row your section pasted in. Column headers on these templates are often abbreviated versions of rubric language, and matching the rubric row to the column is part of what the desk does before writing. A sample built into the wrong column loses marks that the content would otherwise have earned.
Does a list need citations if it is only a list?
In most Chamberlain sections it does, because each row asserts that a finding matters, and that is a claim a rubric row usually asks you to support. The example carries a small set of sources under the body rather than one per line, which keeps the page readable. If your section says otherwise, the sample drops them.
Where can I find a free PA 526 Week 3 sample paper?
This page carries the full PA 526 Week 3 alarm checklist, twelve rows grouped by history, examination and laboratory, each with an action.
Does the PA 526 Week 3 sample send every patient with an alarm feature for endoscopy?
No. Below age 60 the ACG and CAG guideline treats alarm features as weak predictors, so they prompt judgment, while dysphagia needs evaluation at any age.