Question: QUESTION 3 A 21-year-old Female Was Recently Seen By Her Family Doctor And Prescribed Canesten Cream For A Vaginal Thrush Infection. She Had Noted A Significant Weight Loss In The Past Month But Was Not Dieting. For The Previous Week She Had Been Feeling Tired, Thirsty, And Had Drunk A Lot Of Water. She Was Admitted To The Hospital In A Coma With Deep …

QUESTION 3 A 21-year-old female was recently seen by her family doctor and prescribed Canesten cream for a vaginal thrush infection. She had noted a significant weight loss in the past month but was not dieting. For the previous week she had been feeling tired, thirsty, and had drunk a lot of water. She was admitted to the hospital in a coma with deep sighing respiration. She had a faint, rapid pulse and acetone was detected on her breath. Biochemical tests revealed the following results. Plasma glucose (Random) = 35 mmol/L Arterial blood pH = 7.15 Urine ketones = Positive Urine glucose = Positive Serum potassium = 5.9 mmol/L 3.1 (3) What is the most likely condition this patient is suffering from? 3.2 Why does she have a low pH and why does her breath smell of acetone? (5) 3.3 Why is the serum potassium raised? (3) 3.4 Why did she have thrush? (2) 3.5 Why was she thirsty and drinking a lot? (2) 3.6 Why had she lost weight? (2) 3.7 Why did she have a faint, rapid pulse on admission? (3)