Assignment

You are an RN working in an Urgent Care. Below is just a brief history of a client with information limited on purpose to encourage you to utilize your critical thinking skills.

Subjective information: Miranda is a 26-year-old female who presents to the office with the complaint of diarrhea for 6 days. She states she has lost 8 pounds in one week. She is not currently taking any medications. She has tried over-the-counter remedies for the treatment of her diarrhea with minimal improvement. She is generally healthy with only a sinus and bladder infection on occasion.

Objective information: She does not have a temperature, BP is 102/60, Pulse is 98, and her bowel sounds are present in all quadrants and are hyperactive. Her abdomen is soft and mildly tender.

In a 2-3 page paper, answer the following questions. Include, at minimum, two peer reviewed sources (in-text citation), and provide a Reference page (not included in the page count) using APA Editorial format.

1. What is the pathogenesis of diarrhea?

2. Describe the different mechanisms of diarrhea (osmotic, secretory and motility).

3. With the limited information provided, what additional information would you like to obtain from her history and physical to help direct your care plan? Describe why obtaining this information would be helpful in leading you to a nursing diagnosis.

4. What infectious or inflammatory conditions could she be suffering from?