A 65-Year-Old Man Comes to the Emergency Department Due to Abdominal

question 810

Multiple Choice

A 65-year-old man comes to the emergency department due to abdominal pain and diarrhea.  Three weeks ago, he drove from Texas to Mexico for a family vacation.  Temperature is 38.3 C (101 F) , blood pressure is 115/70 mm Hg, and pulse is 98/min.  Abdominal examination shows mild, generalized tenderness with no rebound tenderness or guarding.  Leukocyte count is 14,000/mm³.  Sigmoidoscopy demonstrates white-yellow plaques on the colonic mucosa, and biopsy shows that the plaques are composed of fibrin and inflammatory cells.  Further questioning regarding this patient's trip to Mexico is most likely to reveal which of the following events?

• A)He consumed shellfish from the hotel buffet
• B)He drank unpurified tap water on several occasions
• C)He had undercooked pork at a resort barbecue
• D)He required hospitalization and antibiotics for pneumonia
• E)He took home-canned foods to consume during the trip

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