CTE Healthcare Escape Room Activity (continued)
How the Puzzle Works:
1. Patient Cards Example:
2. Students take real temp and SpO₂ on themselves and use those values to fill in missing vitals.
3. Only Patient D shows SpO₂ of 82% (abnormally low), and a temperature of 101.1°F—indicating critical respiratory distress.
4. In Patient D's bio, they might have a birthdate of 02/18/2007, and the final 4-digit code could be 1807—only discoverable
by selecting the correct patient.
How They "Escape" This Station:
• Once students identify Patient D as critical, they open the corresponding envelope (or click a digital link, if online).
• Inside is a number or code that unlocks the next challenge.
• Optional: You can add a fake "alarm" or emergency notice for dramatic effect.
Teacher Notes:
• If you want to add complexity: include medical abbreviations, decoy patients with just mild abnormalities, or a time limit
• Encourage documentation—students can fill in a "chart" as they go, mimicking real EMR documentation
Station 2: Microscopic Message
Students examine several microscope slides labeled with alphanumeric codes. Most slides contain normal tissue, but one
displays an abnormality (e.g., sickle cell anemia). Identifying the abnormal slide gives them the correct code.
Tools Used:
• Microscope
• Set of prepared slides (normal tissue + 1 abnormal, e.g., sickle cell anemia)
• Slides labeled with small alphanumeric codes on stickers
Learning Focus:
• Proper microscope handling and focusing
• Visual identification of abnormal cellular structures (e.g., sickled red blood cells)
• Diagnostic reasoning
• Decoding and applying alphanumeric clues
Scenario:
"The Lab Tech's Last Test"
• A set of patient blood samples was left on the lab bench during a hospital-wide system outage.
One of these samples shows signs of a life-threatening condition.
• Your job is to examine the slides, identify the sample that's abnormal, and
retrieve the correct code from the sticker on the slide to unlock the next step
in the emergency protocol.
Patient HR (bpm) BP (mmHg) Temp (°F) SpO₂ (%) Symptoms
A 88 118/78 102.5 96% Dizziness
B 115 145/92 Chest pain
C 80 110/70 97.2 98% Mild headache
D 90 120/80 101.1 82% Cyanosis, confusion
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