Also known as: Lung cancer
Carol Austin, AJ's mother, is being treated with targeted immunotherapy for stage IV lung cancer. The therapy has been successful at controlling the cancer but begins causing severe immune-mediated complications affecting multiple organs, forcing her to choose between continuing treatment or stopping to preserve quality of life.
Also known as: Immune-related adverse event from cancer therapy
Carol's immunotherapy causes her immune system to attack her own organs, leading to myocarditis, liver and kidney dysfunction, thyroid abnormalities, and cardiac arrest. This represents a life-threatening complication of her cancer treatment requiring immediate intervention.
Also known as: Addison's disease
Carol presents with severe fatigue, weight loss, and low blood pressure due to adrenal insufficiency caused by past high-dose steroid treatments. Initially treated with IV hydrocortisone, but this masks more serious underlying complications.
Also known as: Torn main artery
Kevin, a 48-year-old male, presents with sudden left flank pain and fluctuating blood pressure. Diagnosed with a ruptured aortic aneurysm leaking into the retroperitoneum, requiring emergency vascular surgery to prevent fatal hemorrhage.
Dan is a 49-year-old male patient used as a teaching case for interns to learn about differential diagnosis using the GETSMASHED mnemonic for pancreatitis causes.
Also known as: Head laceration
An 18-year-old female arrives in the ER with blunt head trauma and altered consciousness (GCS 9) following a multi-casualty boating accident. Assigned to intern Dr. Bonner for treatment.
Also known as: Alcohol withdrawal
Hannah, a mother of four, presents with sweating, agitation, visual hallucinations (ants, spiders), and liver disease stigmata consistent with alcohol withdrawal. Intern Trevor inappropriately gives her beer to prove his diagnosis, causing her to leave against medical advice.
Also known as: Cut hand
A patient from the boating accident presents with a cleat embedded in his hand causing severe neurovascular injury requiring surgical repair.