As you begin to introduce yourself and ask the age-old question, ‘So, what brought you in to hospital today Sally?’, Sally clenches her abdomen and is unable to speak.
You quickly realise that you won’t get much out of Sally until she is relieved of her pain. And so, you administer 75mg pethidine IM, which is an opioid and used instead of morphine as morphine may cause the sphincter of Oddi to contract more… and that may not be ideal in this situation…
After Sally has some relief, she tells you her history of severe and sharp epigastric pain which began 12 hours ago, which radiates to her back, alongside a continuous nauseous feeling and two episodes of vomiting.
Along with the previous blood tests and observations, which test is likely to confirm Sally’s diagnosis?