A 47-Year-Old Previously Healthy Man Comes to the Office Due

question 225

Multiple Choice

A 47-year-old previously healthy man comes to the office due to 3 days of abdominal discomfort, nausea, and diarrhea.  He has had 10-12 small-volume stools per day with no visible blood or mucus.  He has had no fever or vomiting but did have generalized aches and a sense of being unwell prior to the onset of diarrhea.  The patient has not taken any antibiotics or traveled recently.  He ate at an outdoor cookout 2 days before he developed symptoms.
Vital signs are within normal limits with no orthostatic changes.  Examination shows moist mucous membranes.  Mild periumbilical tenderness is present with no guarding or rebound tenderness.  Bowel sounds are increased.  Rectal examination reveals no blood.
Which of the following is the most likely cause of this patient's symptoms?

• A)Campylobacter jejuni
• B)Clostridium perfringens
• C)Norovirus
• D)Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli
• E)Staphylococcus aureus

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Definitions:

Metabolic Reactions

Chemical reactions in living organisms that are necessary for the maintenance of the living state, including processes for assembly or breakdown of substances.

Molecule

The smallest unit of a chemical compound that can exist, consisting of two or more atoms bonded together.

Earth

The third planet from the Sun in our solar system, home to diverse ecosystems and the only known place in the universe supporting life.

Amino Acids

Organic compounds serving as the building blocks of proteins, containing both amino and carboxylic acid functional groups.