IHUMAN LAYLA STEVENS CASE STUDY | 18-MONTH-OLD FEMALE
| VOMITING & DIARRHEA | PEDIATRIC CLINICAL ASSESSMENT &
CASE ANALYSIS | NURSING STUDY GUIDE | 2026 EDITION
,SECTION 1: Patient Demographics & Identifying Data
Field Data
Patient Name Layla Stevens
Age 18 months
Date of Birth Approximately 14 months prior to encounter (calculated)
Sex Female
Height 2'6" (76 cm) — 50th–75th percentile for age
Weight 26.0 lbs (11.8 kg) — 75th–90th percentile for age
BMI ~20.4 kg/m² (within normal range for age)
Race/Ethnicity Not specified
Primary Language English
Reason for Enrollment Testing and data
Location Customer site with laboratory capabilities
Date of Encounter August 8, 2026
Time of Encounter 17:46 (based on case timestamp)
,Field Data
Mode of Arrival Brought in by parent/guardian
Source of Information Parent/guardian (reliable historian)
Informant Reliability Good
SECTION 2: Chief Complaint (CC)
"My 18-month-old daughter has been vomiting and having diarrhea for the past 2
days."
Chief Complaint Elaboration
The patient's mother reports that Layla has experienced approximately 5–6 episodes of
non-bloody, watery diarrhea per day over the past 48 hours, accompanied by 3–4
episodes of non-bilious vomiting per day. The mother describes the vomitus as
containing undigested food and clear fluid, without evidence of blood or bilious (green)
material. The diarrhea is described as "profuse," "watery," and "foul-smelling," without
visible blood, mucus, or pus.
The mother's primary concerns are:
1. Dehydration — Layla is "not drinking as much as usual"
2. Lethargy — She is "more tired than normal" and "not her usual playful self"
3. Fever — Low-grade temperature noted intermittently
4. Reduced urine output — Fewer wet diapers than baseline
SECTION 3: History of Present Illness (HPI) – The OLD CARTS Method
O — Onset
The illness began approximately 48 hours ago (the evening of August 6, 2026). The mother
reports that Layla was "completely fine" during the day, playing normally and eating well.
, Around 7:00 PM, she had her first episode of emesis (vomiting) approximately 2 hours
after dinner. The mother describes this as "forceful but not projectile." Within 2–3 hours,
Layla had her first episode of watery diarrhea.
L — Location
• Vomiting: Originating from the gastrointestinal tract; no specific localized pain
reported.
• Diarrhea: Lower gastrointestinal tract.
• Abdominal discomfort: Diffuse, non-localized; Layla has been intermittently crying
and drawing her legs up to her abdomen, suggesting crampy abdominal pain.
• No reported headache, chest pain, or other extraintestinal symptoms.
D — Duration
Total duration: Approximately 48 hours as of presentation.
Symptom Duration Frequency
Vomiting 48 hours 3–4 episodes/day (decreasing in frequency)
Diarrhea 48 hours 5–6 episodes/day (watery, non-bloody)
Fever Intermittent, ~36 hours Low-grade, ~100.4°F (38.0°C)
Abdominal pain Intermittent, ~48 hours Crampy, worse before bowel movements
Decreased appetite 48 hours Minimal oral intake
Lethargy ~24–36 hours Increasingly tired
C — Character
| VOMITING & DIARRHEA | PEDIATRIC CLINICAL ASSESSMENT &
CASE ANALYSIS | NURSING STUDY GUIDE | 2026 EDITION
,SECTION 1: Patient Demographics & Identifying Data
Field Data
Patient Name Layla Stevens
Age 18 months
Date of Birth Approximately 14 months prior to encounter (calculated)
Sex Female
Height 2'6" (76 cm) — 50th–75th percentile for age
Weight 26.0 lbs (11.8 kg) — 75th–90th percentile for age
BMI ~20.4 kg/m² (within normal range for age)
Race/Ethnicity Not specified
Primary Language English
Reason for Enrollment Testing and data
Location Customer site with laboratory capabilities
Date of Encounter August 8, 2026
Time of Encounter 17:46 (based on case timestamp)
,Field Data
Mode of Arrival Brought in by parent/guardian
Source of Information Parent/guardian (reliable historian)
Informant Reliability Good
SECTION 2: Chief Complaint (CC)
"My 18-month-old daughter has been vomiting and having diarrhea for the past 2
days."
Chief Complaint Elaboration
The patient's mother reports that Layla has experienced approximately 5–6 episodes of
non-bloody, watery diarrhea per day over the past 48 hours, accompanied by 3–4
episodes of non-bilious vomiting per day. The mother describes the vomitus as
containing undigested food and clear fluid, without evidence of blood or bilious (green)
material. The diarrhea is described as "profuse," "watery," and "foul-smelling," without
visible blood, mucus, or pus.
The mother's primary concerns are:
1. Dehydration — Layla is "not drinking as much as usual"
2. Lethargy — She is "more tired than normal" and "not her usual playful self"
3. Fever — Low-grade temperature noted intermittently
4. Reduced urine output — Fewer wet diapers than baseline
SECTION 3: History of Present Illness (HPI) – The OLD CARTS Method
O — Onset
The illness began approximately 48 hours ago (the evening of August 6, 2026). The mother
reports that Layla was "completely fine" during the day, playing normally and eating well.
, Around 7:00 PM, she had her first episode of emesis (vomiting) approximately 2 hours
after dinner. The mother describes this as "forceful but not projectile." Within 2–3 hours,
Layla had her first episode of watery diarrhea.
L — Location
• Vomiting: Originating from the gastrointestinal tract; no specific localized pain
reported.
• Diarrhea: Lower gastrointestinal tract.
• Abdominal discomfort: Diffuse, non-localized; Layla has been intermittently crying
and drawing her legs up to her abdomen, suggesting crampy abdominal pain.
• No reported headache, chest pain, or other extraintestinal symptoms.
D — Duration
Total duration: Approximately 48 hours as of presentation.
Symptom Duration Frequency
Vomiting 48 hours 3–4 episodes/day (decreasing in frequency)
Diarrhea 48 hours 5–6 episodes/day (watery, non-bloody)
Fever Intermittent, ~36 hours Low-grade, ~100.4°F (38.0°C)
Abdominal pain Intermittent, ~48 hours Crampy, worse before bowel movements
Decreased appetite 48 hours Minimal oral intake
Lethargy ~24–36 hours Increasingly tired
C — Character
