Answer:
Chief complaint
Explanation:
When the triage nurse asks the patient for the main ailment that prompted them to seek a visit to the emergency department (ED), the response given by the patient is known as the chief complaint.
Patients can present to the medical professionals with a latticework of signs and symptoms, different conditions both acute and chronic, and a myriad of problems that need addressing. However, healthcare workers and providers unfortunately cannot solve all of the patient's problems in one visit. Rather, the goal is to focus on the most pressing issues at hand and or the ones that, if unresolved, can result in complications that may prove fatal the quickest.
Thus, the nurse asks for their chief complaint in order to effectively obtain the patient's priority problem.
An example is a patient coming in with chest pain radiating to the left shoulder, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and decreased urination within the past day being asked by the nurse for the main problem so the patient understands to discuss their potential heart attack rather than the fact that they have been peeing less.
In short, the response from the patient to the question "what is the main problem that brings you in?" is known as the chief complaint.