Study Document
Abdominal Pain Case Study
Severe abdominal pain with bloody diarrhea at a frequency of twenty times per day can be a sign of a serious condition. In fact, the healthcare team should treat the issue as a medical emergency given the possibility of a life-threatening illness (Holtz, Neill & Tarr, 2009). Immediately I would question the patient regarding her medical and family history, including questions related to whether or not this was the first time she has experienced these symptoms. I would also inquire about the patient’s recent travels because it is possible the symptoms point to an infectious disease or a food-borne illness. Whatever the situation, the patient must first replenish the depleted fluids and electrolytes immediately during the administration of diagnostic procedures and patient monitoring. Also, it would be important to find out if the patient is on any medications including antibiotics, and whether or not she was pregnant. Some medications can cause acute diarrhea.
Because the patient has only experienced the symptoms for two days, this case can be considered acute. It could be caused by a temporary bacterial or viral infection or it could indicate the initial manifestation of symptoms of a more serious illness. If foodborne virus or bacteria had triggered the condition, then the patient should recover within a few days. If symptoms continue, though, the patient may indeed have a chronic condition. Diagnosing the patient’s condition will be challenging due to the great array of causes for bloody diarrhea especially during the acute stage (Holtz, Neill…
…like colitis or inflammatory bowel disease could indicate the possibility for these conditions. Causes could be numerous including exposure to pathogens. Therefore, the patient is recommended a clean diet to reduce exposure to pathogens. Only if a pathogen has been identified in the laboratory reports should antibiotics be administered. Otherwise, the patient should be monitored until the results of the blood and stool tests return. Preventing the condition would depend on its causes. If the condition were due to a chronic and heritable condition like Crohn’s disease or colitis, then the patient will need to engage in lifestyle changes to regulate symptoms but if the patient is merely experiencing a temporary illness due to a pathogen, then the patient could be recommended techniques related to food…
Sample Source(s) Used
References
Holtz, L.R., Neill, M.A. & Tarr, P.I. (2009). Acute bloody diarrhea. Gastroenterology 2009(136). Retrieved from: https://www.gastrojournal.org/article/S0016-5085(09)00344-8/pdf
LaRocque, R. & Harris, J.B. (2019). Patient education: acute diarrhea in adults. Up To Date. Retrieved from: https://www.uptodate.com/contents/acute-diarrhea-in-adults-beyond-the-basics
Larsen, C.M., Nakamura, K.M. & Bhagra, A. (2012). 34-year old woman with abdonaml pain and blood-streaked diarrhea. Mayo Clinic Proceedings 87(9): 905-908.
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