“He’s gone all blotchy, doctor” — acutely unwell on the ward
You are bleeped to a surgical ward. A 34-year-old man has become unwell five minutes after his first dose of an intravenous antibiotic. A staff nurse is with him.
Reviewed and kept current
Station family: Acute care — ABCDE assessment and emergency treatment · 8-minute station · 1 min 30 s reading · Last editorial review: 20 September 2026.
Read this as you would outside the room
You have 1 minute 30 seconds to read, then 8 minutes. Candidates: everything below this section is folded away — leave it closed until you have finished the station.
| Information | |
|---|---|
| Your role | Foundation Year 2 doctor covering the surgical wards. The medical emergency team is called on 2222. Your registrar is in theatre. |
| Patient | Mr Owen Pritchard, 34 — admitted this morning with cellulitis of the right forearm |
| Why you have been called | Staff Nurse Beth Morgan bleeped you: “He’s gone all blotchy, doctor, and he says his throat feels tight. His antibiotic went up five minutes ago.” |
| Chart | Drug chart: flucloxacillin 2 g intravenously, first dose started five minutes ago. Allergies: “none known”. Observations one hour ago: pulse 82, BP 126/78, respiratory rate 14, SpO₂ 98% on air, temperature 37.9 °C. No regular medication. |
| Set-up | A manikin — or a colleague lying on a couch — is the patient. The nurse stays with you and will do whatever you ask. To hand: oxygen and a non-rebreathe mask, monitoring, the ward emergency drug box, intravenous fluids, cannulas, syringes and needles. You will be told each finding as you assess it. Time is compressed: you will be told when simulated time has passed. |
Your task
For the actor and the examiner
1 · Actor script — role player only
Candidates: do not open until you have consulted.
How to run this station
- Use three people if you can: the role player is the nurse and also voices Owen; the examiner reads the findings, announces the time and marks. With two, the role player reads the findings as “the monitor” and afterwards marks four things from memory: time to adrenaline; dose, strength, route and site said aloud; infusion stopped; second dose given.
- Drugs are “given” by the doctor saying the drug, dose, strength, route and site aloud and miming the injection. If you are asked to give it yourself: “How much, what strength and where, doctor?” — repeat the order back, then say “Given.”
Persona and manner — Staff Nurse Beth Morgan
- An experienced, capable staff nurse. Worried, but calm. You do exactly what the doctor asks, promptly, and repeat each instruction back (“Oxygen, 15 litres, non-rebreathe — going on now”).
- You do not suggest treatments, doses or a diagnosis. If asked to fetch something, it is in the emergency drug box beside you.
- You also speak for the patient when he is addressed: short, frightened phrases at first — “I can’t… breathe properly… my throat…” — and full sentences once he has improved.
Opening line — say this verbatim
- “Thank you for coming so quickly. This is Owen — he was fine ten minutes ago. He’s gone all blotchy, he says his throat’s tight and he’s getting wheezy.”
Volunteer freely if given the space
- The antibiotic went up five minutes ago. He started itching within a couple of minutes.
- “I haven’t done a new set of obs yet — I called you straight away.”
Only if asked
- The infusion is still running — you have not stopped it. (Stop it the moment you are told to.)
- He has one cannula, in the left forearm, with the infusion attached.
- He has not eaten anything unusual; no other new medicines today; no latex contact.
- Allergies — one rule: to “Any allergies?” answer “The chart says none known.” To any question that goes beyond the chart — has he ever reacted to a medicine, an antibiotic or penicillin; “has anyone actually asked him?” — give the amoxicillin line from the ‘anything to add’ section.
- As Owen, if asked directly about earlier reactions: “Amoxicillin — when I was about fifteen. I came out in a rash and my lips swelled. Nobody asked me this morning.”
- He is not on a beta-blocker or any regular medicine. No asthma. Weight about 80 kg.
Impact on daily life — once he can talk again (only if asked)
- He is a postman and a single father; his six-year-old daughter is with her grandmother today and he was hoping to collect her tonight.
- He has never been in hospital before and is frightened that it will happen again at home.
- He wants to know whether he can ever have antibiotics again.
Ideas, concerns and expectations — once he has improved
- Idea: “Was that the infection getting into my blood?”
- Concerns: “I thought I was dying.” Will it happen again tonight? Can he ever take antibiotics?
- Expectation: to go home this evening.
Cues to deliver, timed
- Minute 1, if the infusion has not been stopped: glance at the drip — “His antibiotic’s still going through, doctor.”
- Minute 3, if no adrenaline has been given: say unprompted — “He’s getting drowsy, doctor. BP 70 over 40, sats 85.”
- About one minute of real time after the first dose: announce “That’s five minutes since the adrenaline.” Give the second set of findings as the doctor re-checks each part. If nothing is re-checked within 20 seconds: “He still doesn’t look right, doctor — shall I repeat his obs?”
- About 45 seconds after the second dose and the fluid bolus: “Another five minutes have gone by.” Give the third set as he is reassessed. He should be improving by about 5:00.
- About 5:30, once he has improved: “The emergency team’s just arrived, doctor — can you hand over?” Listen as the team leader would.
- If there is still no adrenaline by minute 5: “The emergency team has arrived and given adrenaline” — give the improved findings so that the explanation can still be attempted.
- Safety challenges, once each: antihistamine or steroid asked for before adrenaline — “Before the adrenaline, doctor?”; adrenaline asked for intravenously — “IV? Are you sure — not in the thigh?”; a wrong volume or strength — repeat it back as a question (“Five mils of one in a thousand, doctor? Each ampoule is only one.”), then do as told; if he is sat upright or stood up while his pressure is low — “He’s gone very pale — he says he feels faint.”
If the doctor summarises (or hands over) and asks whether you want to add anything
- If a previous antibiotic reaction has not come out: “One thing — his mum rang the ward a minute ago. She says amoxicillin gave him a rash and swollen lips as a teenager. It isn’t on his drug chart.”
- If it has: “He’s asking whether he can go home tonight — he has to collect his daughter.”
How to respond — as the nurse
- Clear instructions, one at a time, with doses: you carry them out at once and say so.
- Vague instructions (“give him some adrenaline”): “How much, and where, doctor?”
- If asked to put out a 2222 call: “What shall I tell them, doctor?” Then repeat exactly what you are told — “Medical emergency — [the doctor’s words] — Ward 7, bay 2. Calling now.” Never supply the word “anaphylaxis” yourself.
- If asked to draw up the drug: you hand over “adrenaline 1 milligram in 1 millilitre — one in a thousand”.
How to respond — as Owen, once improved
- If the doctor explains plainly that this was a severe allergic reaction to the antibiotic, that the injection reversed it, and that he must stay under observation because it can come back: “OK… so I’m not going home tonight, then.”
- If told he can go home in an hour or two: relieved — “Brilliant.”
- If nobody explains anything to him: “What just happened to me?”
Do not
- Stop the infusion, give oxygen, lay him flat or call for help until you are asked to (apart from the timed cues).
- Suggest a drug, a dose, a route — or the diagnosis.
- Volunteer the amoxicillin history unless asked beyond the chart, or invited to add anything.
Findings to give the candidate — only if asked for
This is a simulation. Give each finding only as the candidate assesses that part of the patient — except the time announcements and the minute-3 deterioration, which you say unprompted (see the timed cues). (Where a separate examiner is present, the examiner reads the findings and announces the time.)
On arrival. Airway: hoarse voice — “my throat feels tight”; lips and tongue slightly swollen; no stridor. Breathing: respiratory rate 28, SpO₂ 89% on air, widespread wheeze, speaking in short phrases. Circulation: pulse 128, BP 82/48, capillary refill 3 seconds, flushed. Disability: alert and frightened; glucose 5.8 mmol/L. Exposure: raised itchy rash (urticaria) over the chest and arms; the flucloxacillin infusion is still running through a cannula in the left arm; temperature 37.8 °C. Second set — “five minutes” after the first intramuscular adrenaline (with oxygen, lying flat, infusion stopped): respiratory rate 26, pulse 118, BP 88/52, SpO₂ 94% on high-flow oxygen, still wheezy, voice still hoarse. If the infusion is still running: no improvement at all. Third set — after a second dose and a fluid bolus: respiratory rate 20, pulse 102, BP 108/64, SpO₂ 97% on oxygen, wheeze settling, voice normal, rash fading. If only one of the two has been given: BP 94/56, still wheezy — “His pressure’s still low, doctor.” If no adrenaline has been given by minute 3: he becomes drowsy; BP 70/40, SpO₂ 85%.
2 · Examiner mark sheet — generic scheme plus the key facts for this case
Domain marks — with the key facts that earn a 4 at this station
| Domain (GMC wording) · key facts for this case | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 · Data gathering, technical and assessment skills
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | /4 |
2 · Clinical management skills
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | /4 |
3 · Interpersonal skills
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | /4 |
| Station total | /12 |
Examiner's overall judgement (standard-setting only — it does not decide your result): ☐ Unsatisfactory ☐ Borderline ☐ Satisfactory ☐ Good
Marks are 1 to 4 in each domain; the generic descriptor for each mark is on the mark scheme page, and the structure of the eight minutes is on the 8-minute station page. The full standard for this case is in section 3 and the GMC feedback statements, with examples from this case, are in section 4. The examination findings that the role player gives — only if the candidate asks for them — are at the end of section 1.
3 · Expanded station-specific marking standard — what earns 4, 3, 2 and 1 here
The top row is the full picture of what a competent F2 could do at this station, including the working diagnosis with its justified differentials, the safety-net and the follow-up; lower rows describe how performance falls away. It is a debriefing aid, not a checklist to recite: nobody says every line in eight minutes, and a 4 is a judgement that the essentials — the italic key facts on the mark sheet — were done well, in plain language and at the patient’s pace. Acumen training standard — the GMC does not publish station mark sheets.
| Mark | Domain 1 · Data gathering, technical and assessment skills | Domain 2 · Clinical management skills | Domain 3 · Interpersonal skills |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 |
|
|
|
| 3 | Anaphylaxis recognised and named, with oxygen, positioning and the infusion stopped; one of the early call for help, monitoring or reassessment late or prompted by the nurse. | Correct adrenaline dose, route and repeat, with fluids; diagnosis stated; most of the aftercare covered — one of the tryptase samples, the observation period, the allergy documentation or the referral missing. | Clear leadership and kind to the patient; the explanation afterwards a little thin. |
| 2 | Works through ABCDE but slowly, and most of it prompted: the infusion left running until the nurse points it out, little reassessment, findings collected but not acted on. | Adrenaline given but the dose hesitant or wrong at first and corrected; second dose or fluids omitted despite persisting hypotension; antihistamine and steroid given prominence; aftercare vague. | Competent but silent — treats the monitor, not the man; instructions vague, so the nurse has to ask for doses; explanation afterwards rushed. |
| 1 | Disorganised; anaphylaxis not recognised or named; no call for help; examination continues while the patient deteriorates. Or unsafe: life-threatening airway, breathing or circulation problems not recognised as such; the patient sat bolt upright, stood or walked while hypotensive; or the infusion left running throughout. | Adrenaline given late — after an antihistamine and a steroid, or only after the nurse’s prompts — or under-dosed; “observe” with no plan after recovery. Or unsafe: no adrenaline given at all; an intravenous bolus of adrenaline on the ward; a tenfold dose error (for example 5 mL of 1:1000) carried through despite the nurse’s challenge; flucloxacillin continued or another penicillin prescribed; or tells him he can go home in an hour or two. | Flustered or brusque; ignores the nurse’s prompts; patient told nothing. Or unsafe: shouts at or blames the nurse; dismisses her safety challenge; or conceals the missed allergy from the patient. |
4 · GMC feedback statements — where underperformance was identified — with case-specific examples
A feedback statement marks where underperformance was identified in the consultation. With PLAB 2 results the GMC may attach any combination of the ten statements to a station — none, one or several. The right-hand column shows what each one looks like at this station. Record the statements that applied in the practice log.
| GMC feedback statement | Underperformance it signals (generic) | Case-specific examples |
|---|---|---|
| 1 · Consultation | Disorganised or unstructured consultation | Takes a history at the bedside while the infusion runs; examines the rash in detail before airway, breathing and circulation; no recognisable ABCDE, no reassessment, no handover. |
| 2 · Issues | Key issues or priorities not recognised | Does not recognise anaphylaxis — treats it as “an allergic rash” or as sepsis; does not see that the priorities are adrenaline, help and stopping the drug. |
| 3 · Time | Poor time management | Three minutes gone before adrenaline is mentioned; never reaches the second dose, the fluids or the explanation to the patient. |
| 4 · Findings | Abnormal findings or results, or their implications, not identified | Is told BP 82/48, SpO₂ 89% and a hoarse voice and does not name them as life-threatening; does not notice that the infusion is still running; is told “that’s five minutes since the adrenaline” with BP 88/52 and does not act on it. |
| 5 · Examination | Physical examination or use of instruments not competent | Unstructured assessment; does not look at the airway or listen to the chest; sits him bolt upright although he is hypotensive; wrong injection site (deltoid or buttock), or cannot say how the dose is drawn up; no monitoring attached. |
| 6 · Diagnosis | Working diagnosis or differential diagnoses not correct | “Probably a reaction to the antibiotic” with no mention of anaphylaxis; cannot say why this is not septic shock, asthma, a faint or a panic attack. |
| 7 · Management | Management plan not reflecting current best practice | Chlorphenamine and hydrocortisone first; adrenaline 0.5 mg intravenously, or the wrong strength or volume; no repeat dose at five minutes; no fluids; no tryptase; “he can go home later today”; allergy not recorded; a cephalosporin substituted without advice; no allergy referral, nothing said about symptoms coming back. |
| 8 · Rapport | Rapport and sensitivity to the patient’s feelings and concerns not shown | Says nothing to a terrified man who thinks he is dying; talks over the nurse; afterwards blames “whoever clerked him” in front of the patient. |
| 9 · Listening | Verbal and non-verbal cues not used; poor active listening | Ignores “his antibiotic’s still going through, doctor” and “before the adrenaline, doctor?”; asks only “any allergies?” and never goes beyond the chart; does not ask the nurse whether she has anything to add, so the amoxicillin reaction is never heard. |
| 10 · Language | Language or explanations not understandable; understanding not checked | “Give 0.5 of adrenaline” — no units, strength or route; and to the patient afterwards: “you had a type 1 hypersensitivity reaction with bronchospasm and distributive shock”. |
5 · Examiner points of fact and guidelines
Points of fact the examiner should have to hand
- Recognition (Resuscitation Council UK, 2021): anaphylaxis is likely when there is sudden onset of airway and/or breathing and/or circulation problems, usually with skin changes such as an itchy rash. Skin changes alone are not anaphylaxis — and they are absent in some cases.
- 2222 is the standard internal telephone number for cardiac arrest and medical emergency calls in UK hospitals — recommended nationally by the National Patient Safety Agency (2004) and in the Resuscitation Council UK quality standards for acute care. State the team needed, the problem and the exact location (“medical emergency team, anaphylaxis, Ward 7, bay 2”).
- Immediate steps: call for help (resuscitation team or ambulance); remove the trigger — stop any infusion; lie the patient flat, with or without the legs raised (sitting may help breathing; left side if pregnant); avoid sudden changes of posture.
- Adrenaline 1 mg/mL (1:1000): adults and children over 12 — 500 micrograms IM (0.5 mL) into the anterolateral middle third of the thigh; children 6–12 years 300 micrograms; 6 months to 6 years 150 micrograms; under 6 months 100–150 micrograms. Then establish the airway, give high-flow oxygen (later titrated to 94–98%) and apply monitoring. If there is no response, repeat the IM adrenaline after five minutes and give an intravenous crystalloid bolus — 500–1000 mL in adults; start fluids early if the patient is hypotensive.
- Refractory anaphylaxis = no improvement in breathing or circulation after two appropriate IM doses: expert help and critical care; rapid fluid bolus; IM adrenaline every five minutes until a low-dose adrenaline infusion is running. Intravenous adrenaline is for experienced specialists only. If the patient takes a beta-blocker and remains refractory to an adrenaline infusion and adequate fluids, glucagon may be considered.
- Antihistamines are a third-line treatment — not part of initial emergency care, and never a reason to delay adrenaline; they help skin symptoms only, and a non-sedating oral antihistamine is preferred once the patient is stable. The routine use of corticosteroids is not advised; consider them after resuscitation for refractory reactions or ongoing asthma or shock.
- Mast cell tryptase: at minimum one sample, ideally within two hours and no later than four hours after onset; ideally three timed samples — as soon as feasible (never delaying treatment), at 1–2 hours, and a baseline at least 24 hours after complete resolution. A normal result does not exclude anaphylaxis.
- Observation after recovery (NICE NG258; RCUK 2021) is timed from the resolution of symptoms. Consider discharge after 2 hours only if there was a good response to a single dose given within 30 minutes of onset, symptoms have fully resolved, the person already has two in-date auto-injectors and knows how to use them, and there is adequate supervision at home; a minimum of 6 hours if two doses were needed or there has been a previous biphasic reaction; a minimum of 12 hours after severe anaphylaxis needing more than two doses, severe asthma or severe respiratory compromise, possible continuing absorption of the allergen, an out-of-hours presentation, a person who could not respond to a deterioration, or difficult access to emergency care. A senior clinician makes the decision.
- Before discharge (NICE NG258, May 2026 — which replaced CG134; RCUK 2021): information about anaphylaxis and biphasic reactions, what to do if it recurs, how to avoid the trigger, and referral to a specialist allergy service. People leave with two in-date adrenaline auto-injectors and training in their use — unless the anaphylaxis was due to a drug that can easily be avoided, as here.
- “Can I ever have antibiotics again?” — yes. He must avoid all penicillins, and should not be given cephalosporins or other beta-lactams without specialist advice, until the allergy clinic has assessed him; other classes of antibiotic remain available (BNF; NICE CG183). For cellulitis NICE NG141 lists clarithromycin or doxycycline — or clindamycin in severe infection — when a penicillin cannot be used.
- Record and report: the drug, the drug class to avoid and the reaction in the notes, on the drug chart and the wristband, and in the letter to the GP (NICE CG183); an incident report when an allergy history was missed, with an honest explanation to the patient (duty of candour); an MHRA Yellow Card for the adverse drug reaction.
Where candidates lose marks at this station
- Taking a history while the infusion is still running.
- Chlorphenamine and hydrocortisone before adrenaline.
- “Adrenaline 0.5” — with no units, strength or route.
- Adrenaline into a vein on a general ward.
- No second dose at five minutes although he is still hypotensive.
- Sitting a hypotensive patient bolt upright — or sending him home that evening.
Guidelines for this station
- Resuscitation Council UK — Emergency treatment of anaphylaxis: guidelines for healthcare providers (2021)
- Resuscitation Council UK — Anaphylaxis algorithm (PDF)
- NICE NG258 — Anaphylaxis: assessment and referral after emergency treatment (2026)
- NICE CG183 — Drug allergy: diagnosis and management
- Resuscitation Council UK — Quality standards: acute care (the 2222 call and the emergency team)
- MHRA — Yellow Card scheme
- GMC — Openness and honesty when things go wrong: the professional duty of candour
6 · MLA content map tags for this case
| MLA content map | This station |
|---|---|
| Domain 1 · Areas of clinical practice | Acute and emergency |
| Domain 3 · Clinical and professional capabilities | Emergency and acute management plans · Performing procedures safely · Team working · Safe prescribing · Managing risk |
| Domain 5 · Patient presentations | Anaphylaxis · Shock · Wheeze · Deteriorating patient · Allergy/ allergic reaction |
| Domain 6 · Conditions | Anaphylaxis · Shock · Adverse drug effects |
| Station family | Acute care, ethics and safeguarding — Acute care — ABCDE assessment and emergency treatment |
7 · My marks and reflection — practice log form
Record your three domain marks, your station total, the GMC feedback statements that applied (where underperformance was identified), and what you will keep and change. The form is already labelled with this case and its web address; a copy of your entry is emailed to you, so your practice log builds up in your inbox and can be downloaded.
Record my marks and reflection for P2-16
Revision link for this case: acumenprimarycare.com/plab-2-osce/case-16-acutely-unwell-after-an-antibiotic
Independence & scope. Independent, formative training material from MD Acumen Ltd. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or delivered on behalf of the General Medical Council. The GMC does not publish its station mark sheets: every mark scheme and descriptor on these pages is an Acumen training tool calibrated to the GMC's published marking domains, feedback statements and the MLA content map. Practice scores are not a prediction of examination performance. Clinical content reflects UK guidance at the date of editorial review — always check the current guideline. All patients are fictional.
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