Case number #1 , answer the following questions:
1. What other subjective data would you obtain?
2. What other objective findings would you look for?
3. What diagnostic exams do you want to order?
4. Name 3 differential diagnoses based on this patient presenting symptoms?
5. Give rationales for each differential diagnosis.
Gastrointestinal & Endocrine
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Gastrointestinal & Endocrine
Introduction
Symptoms of gastrointestinal disorders can vary from person to person and from condition to condition. These conditions affect the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which runs from the mouth to the anus (Eslick, 2019). Examples of gastrointestinal include nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, and food poisoning. In the provided case study one, the patient is experiencing GI tract problems (Black et al., 2020). This paper used the information provided in the case study to discuss subjective and objective data, diagnostic exams, and differential diagnoses.
What other subjective data would you obtain?
Subjective data is the information provided by the patient herself. In the case study, the patient mentioned frequent watery bowel movements. She also mentioned, fever, chills, and loss of appetite. Further investigation of the patient is crucial to identify the most likely illness. Other subjective information may investigate abdominal pain and cramps, vomiting, nausea, blood in the stool, and dehydration (Eslick, 2019). Furthermore, the care provider should investigate whether the patient is experiencing neurological symptoms such as blurry vision, and muscle weakness.
What other objective findings would you look for?
Once the doctor has had from the patient, objective data must be gathered based on physical observations, imaging, and laboratory tests. The objective data already provided include blood pressure, pulse, respiratory rate temperature, and MBI (Eslick, 2019). Other objective data should include general appearance, including skin color, dress code, and orientation to place, person, and time (Eslick, 2019). Others include dry mouth, tingling in the arms, steady gait, as well as lab test results and imaging where applicable.
What diagnostic exams do you want to order?
This patient should be diagnosed based on a detailed history including the food she has eaten, how long she has been sick, and the symptoms. The doctor may assess any sign of dehydration (Black et al., 2020). Diagnostic tests for this patient may include blood tests, and stool culture to detect the presence of any parasite and identify the cause of the symptoms and confirm the diagnosis. Once the blood and stool are sent to the lab, the technician will try to find any infectious organisms through standardized procedures in the samples. Colonoscopy or colon examination may be recommended using a small flexible tube (Eslick, 2019). These and other tests are important to identify an accurate diagnosis.
Name 3 differential diagnoses based on this patient presenting symptoms?
- Food poisoning
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Lactose Intolerance
Give rationales for each differential diagnosis
Food poisoning presents similar symptoms the patient was experiencing. Food poisoning happens when the individual eats contaminated food. Symptoms include water diarrhea for more than three days, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, and fever. Irritable bowel syndrome is a common disorder affecting the large intestine (Black et al., 2020). It is associated with diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting, fatigue, and weight loss. Lactose intolerance makes one unable to fully digest lactose. Symptoms include diarrhea, gas, abdominal cramps, and bloating (Eslick, 2019). All three disorders can be confusing, hence, a detailed investigation is paramount.
Conclusion
Gastrointestinal disorders are associated with detrimental health effects. The case study presents a patient with gastrointestinal tract-associated problems. both objective and subjective data were gathered accordingly. Diagnostic exams as well as differential diagnoses have been discussed. A blood test and stool test are very important in this case to confirm an accurate diagnosis. Differential diseases include food poisoning, irritable bowel syndromes, and lactose intolerance disorder.
References
Black, C. J., Drossman, D. A., Talley, N. J., Ruddy, J., & Ford, A. C. (2020). Functional gastrointestinal disorders: advances in understanding and management. The Lancet, 396(10263), 1664-1674. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)32115-2
Eslick, G. D. (2019). Gastrointestinal diseases and their associated infections. Elsevier, 2019.