MBBS OSCE · Obstetrics & Gynaecology
OSCE — Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
Eight-minute OSCE station on Pelvic Inflammatory Disease: focused history, examination priorities, investigations, emergency and definitive management.
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Brief (to candidate)
You will assess a patient with a presentation consistent with Pelvic Inflammatory Disease.
You have 8 minutes to take a focused history, outline examination, investigations, and management including red flags.
Clinical context
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an ascending, polymicrobial infection of the upper female genital tract — endometrium (endometritis), fallopian tubes (salpingitis), ovaries (oophoritis) and pelvic peritoneum. The classical organisms are Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, with Mycoplasma genitalium, anaerobes and bacterial-vaginosis-associated organisms also important. Presents with bilateral lower abdominal pain, deep dyspareunia, abnormal vaginal discharge and cervical motion tenderness, but is often subtle or silent — the missed case is the one that causes tubal infertility. Diagnosis is clinical (minimum criterion: cervical motion, uterine or adnexal tenderness in a sex
Candidate tasks
- Clarify onset, severity, associated features, and red-flag symptoms.
- State focused examination priorities.
- List first-line investigations and any named score/criteria.
- Give immediate resuscitation steps.
- Outline definitive management with doses/routes where standard.
- Name complications and disposition (ward / HDU / theatre / discharge safety-net).
- Mention one special-population modifier (pregnancy, child, elderly, CKD).
Examiner checklist
| Domain | Pass behaviours |
|---|---|
| Definition | Correct working diagnosis language |
| Assessment | Focused, prioritised, red flags sought |
| Investigations | Appropriate first-line + interpretation |
| Emergency care | ABC / time-critical actions first |
| Definitive care | Specific drugs/procedures, not generic phrases |
| Safety | Sexually active young woman with bilateral lower abdominal pain + cervical motio |
| Safety | RUQ pleuritic pain in suspected PID = Fitz-Hugh-Curtis perihepatitis |
| Safety | Adnexal mass with fever on antibiotics or abscess over 8 cm = tubo-ovarian absce |
| Communication | Clear plan and safety-netting |
Model outline
Lead with the working diagnosis and life threats. Resuscitate before definitive tests when unstable. Use guideline-standard therapy with named agents and doses. Document escalation criteria and follow-up. A safe candidate is specific, structured, and never delays critical care for non-urgent imaging.