Unusual Physical Finding in 2 Vietnamese Girls Admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

Authors: Sheryl Falkos, MD, Sabina Ali, MD, Rosa A Vidal, MDSeries Editors: Sheryl Falkos, MD; Rosa A Vidal, MD

August 17, 2004

Case #1 Introduction

An 11-year-old Vietnamese girl was transported from an outlying hospital and admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) with severe metabolic acidosis, severe dehydration, altered mental status, and hyperglycemia associated with diabetic ketoacidosis and new-onset insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. She was admitted to the outlying hospital approximately 1 hour after the fall occurred. Following the fall, she was initially conscious, but was unresponsive when the ambulance crew arrived. The physicians at the outlying hospital reported that she had fallen and had bruises "all over her back."

The history was difficult to obtain because the only person in the family fluent in English was the patient and she was lethargic. The patient's brother provided translation for their parents over the telephone.

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Cite this: Unusual Physical Finding in 2 Vietnamese Girls Admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit - Medscape - Aug 17, 2004.

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