Diabetes Ketoacidosis in a Young Adult with Type 1 Diabetes
A branching clinical case simulation for a patient presenting with vomiting and abdominal pain for 12 hours. Take a history, examine, investigate, diagnose and treat while the patient responds to every decision, then see the score by clinical domain with the reasoning for each mark.
Year 3medium20 min6 stages
- Patient
- 22 years, female
- Presenting complaint
- Vomiting and abdominal pain for 12 hours
- Decision stages
- History, Examination, Investigations, Diagnosis, Treatment, Monitoring
The presentation
You are the medical student on the emergency department. A 22-year-old female with type 1 diabetes presents with nausea, vomiting, and diffuse abdominal pain. Her family says she has been "sick" for a day, unable to keep fluids down, and has missed her insulin doses because she couldn't eat. She appears tired and dehydrated.
What this case teaches
By the end of this case, the learner will be able to:
- Recognise the clinical features and precipitating factors of DKA.
- Interpret diagnostic investigations in DKA.
- Initiate appropriate fluid and insulin therapy.
- Monitor for complications such as hypokalaemia and cerebral oedema.
How the case unfolds
- 1Focused HistoryHistory
- 2Focused Physical ExaminationExamination
- 3Initial InvestigationsInvestigations
- 4Interpreting Results and DiagnosisDiagnosis
- 5Initial ManagementTreatment
- 6Monitoring and Further ManagementMonitoring
The decisions available at each stage, and what each one costs or earns, appear when you run the case.
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A free account opens the simulator: the patient's observations move with your decisions, and every choice is scored and explained.
Taught in
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Educational content for students and clinicians in training. It does not replace professional judgement, local protocols or current prescribing information.