Infectious Diarrhea: The Daily PANCE Blueprint

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Infectious Diarrhea: The Daily PANCE Blueprint

A 20-year-old presents to your clinic with diarrhea, emesis, and crampy abdominal pain for the past 10 hours. She says she did not eat anything out of the ordinary, except she went to a church picnic yesterday afternoon and had weird-tasting potato salad. Vitals are unremarkable. Which of the following is most likely causing her symptoms?

A. Salmonella species
B. Campylobacter jejuni
C. Escherichia coli
D. Shigella species
E. Staphylococcus aureus

Answer and topic summary

The answer is E. Staphylococcus aureus

Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) is defined by acute diarrhea and/or vomiting which typically lasts <14 days. Viral illnesses (like norovirus) account for 75–90% of AGE in developed countries. The most common bacterial causes of AGE in the US include Salmonella species, Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli, and Shigella species. Other bacteria include Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria, and Yersinia. Clinical features: sudden onset of diarrhea and/or vomiting, crampy abdominal pain. Routine testing is not recommended for mild disease. Treatment is generally supportive (rehydration) in average cases.

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Smarty PANCE Content Blueprint Review:

Covered under ⇒ PANCE Blueprint GI and Nutrition ⇒ Infectious Diarrhea

Also covered as part of the Emergency Medicine EOR topic list

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