A 58-year-old woman presented to hospital with pain in the popliteal fossa and vomiting of 48 hours' duration. Her history included DM, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, hyperuricaemia, congestive heart failure and depression. On admission, vital signs were normal and examination showed signs of deep vein thrombosis. Blood tests showed normal ionic, haematological, renal and hepatic function. The patient was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis of the lower extremities by ultrasound and was treated with NPH insulin, metformin (850 mg/12 hours), enoxaparin, torasemide, enalapril, dipotassium clorazepate, allopurinol, mirtazapine and digoxin. During the first two days, the patient continued to vomit and hardly ingested any liquids, and 24 hours later, she reported abdominal pain with asthenia, vomiting, visual disturbances and oliguria. On the fifth day of admission, the patient suffered cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation and, after being resuscitated by the intensivist, she was mydriatic, anauric and with a Glasgow scale score of 3. Blood pressure was 120/45 mmHg (with noradrenaline), heart rate was 115 beats/minute and temperature was 36°C. The most significant analytical data are shown in table 2. During the first hours he received fluids, 500 mEq of sodium bicarbonate and noradrenaline, which restarted diuresis, but arterial blood gas did not improve (pH 6.90 and bicarbonate 7.1 mEq/l). A haemodialysis session improved metabolic acidosis (pH 7.28 and bicarbonate 16 mEq/l) and hyperkalaemia (5.2 mEq/l). After overcoming aspiration pneumonia, the patient was transferred to the ward in a vegetative state and died on the 19th day of admission.