i. Which essential questions will you ask a pediatric patient or his or her caregiver when the presenting complaint is bloody diarrhea? Will these
... [Show More] questions vary depending upon the child’s age? Why or why not?
ii. What clinical or historical findings will indicate the need for diagnostic studies and why? Which diagnostic studies will you initially order and why?
iii. What would be three differential diagnoses in this case?
iv. How do the common causes of vomiting differ in infants, children, and adolescents?
v. What clinical or historical findings will indicate the need for diagnostic studies and why?
vi. Which diagnostic studies will you initially order and why?
iHuman Case Study: Samantha Graves V3 PC
1. Which essential questions will you ask a pediatric patient or his or her caregiver when the presenting complaint is bloody diarrhea? Will these questions vary depending upon the child’s age? Why or why not?
A presumptive bleeding and accurate diagnosis can only be reached at by a complete pediatric complaint history. Nevertheless, age-related, and etiology-specific essential questions can be addressed to the caregiver. For instance, ask about the chronicity or acuteness of the bleeding, the quantity, and color of the blood in the stool, or vomit, history of straining, anticipated symptoms, trauma and abdominal pain (Shane et al., 2017). For more insight about the bloody stool, questions relating to the history of the foods consumed by the child, drugs used and changes in stool color throughout the day are also important.
The questions asked regarding pediatric complaints vary depending on the child’s age group. However, questions regarding bloody diarrhea are consistent across various ages, apart from older children who are at high risk of Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis (Carson, Mudd, & Madati, 2016). Focusing on these disorders, the patient will be asked questions revolving around, their weight changes, pain during defecation and cases of delayed growth.
2. What clinical or historical findings will indicate the need for diagnostic studies and why? Which diagnostic studies will you initially order and why?
Normally, the color of the stool of a child should either be brown, mustard yellow or green. However, in case of any changes, such as a black stool, occult blood cultures, ova, and parasite needs to be obtained [Show Less]