PANCE Exam Practice Questions: Quiz 216

A 32-year-old female presents with a 2-week history of mild greenish, foul-smelling diarrhea. She denies use of laxatives or olestra. There are no sick family members or other contacts. She was treated 3 weeks ago for pyelonephritis after returning from her honeymoon in Mexico. Vital signs are stable and the patient is in no distress. What is the next step in the diagnosis and management of this patient?
- A. aggressive oral rehydration and let the diarrhea resolve on its own with time; no specific tests are needed at this time
- B. bowel rest, oral intake as tolerated with flat carbonated beverages and “BRAT” diet; no specific tests are needed at this time
- C. empiric use of antidiarrheal agents; if no improvement in 3 days, consider stool tests
- D. bowel rest while awaiting results of stool culture, ova and parasites, fecal WBC count, and Clostridium difficile toxin

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