Provides an example of a directed case on human anatomy and physiology. Uses brief real life newspaper articles and clinical descriptions of medical reference texts to describe an actual, fictitious, or composite event. Includes interrelated human anatomy and physiology topics in the scenario. (YDS)

The hallmark of an open-ended case study is the possibility of multiple outcomes to the problem at hand. This adds to the realism, provokes higher-order thought, and attracts many instructors to case analysis. Yet, there are circumstances in which a closed-ended approach, having a single correct answer, may be preferred. In this article, the…

The dynamics of oxygen transport by the blood can be a particularly difficult topic for students to grasp. A directed case study about carbon monoxide poisoning was designed to help deepen student understanding of the solution chemistry of the oxygen-hemoglobin reaction and the role that hemoglobin plays in external respiration.