Case Study

A 40 year-old female presents to the office with the chief complaint of diarrhea. She has been having recurrent episodes of abdominal pain, diarrhea, and rectal bleeding. She has lost 9 pounds in the last month. She takes no medications, but is allergic to penicillin. She describes her life as stressful, but manageable. The physical exam reveals a pale middle- aged female in no acute distress. Her weight is 140 pounds (down from 154 at her last visit over a year ago), blood pressure of 94/60 sitting and 86/50 (orthostatic positive). standing, heart rate of 96 and regular without postural changes, respiratory rate of 18, and O2 saturation 99%. Further physical examination reveals:

Skin: w/d, no acute lesions or rashes

Eyes: sclera clear, conj pale

Ears: no acute changes

Nose: no erythema or sinus tenderness

Mouth: membranes pale, some slight painful ulcerations, right buccal mucosa, tongue beefy red, teeth good repair ( signs and symptoms of Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia)

Neck: supple, no thyroid enlargement or tenderness, no lymphadenopathy

Cardio: S1 S2 regular, no S3 S4 or murmur

Lungs: CTA w/o rales, wheezes, or rhonchi

Abdomen: scaphoid, BS hyperactive (due to diarrhea), generalized tenderness, rectal +occult blood

Post APA format

1. an explanation of the differential diagnosis (Crohn disease) for the patient in the case study that you selected.

2. Describe the role the patient history and physical exam (information from above) played in the diagnosis (of Crohn disease)

3. Then, suggest potential treatment options based on your patient diagnosis (Crohn disease).