Aren't you curious about whether the abdominal/GI cases are related? Please rethink your choice before continuing to Section 1B. [Close]
Since there are so many GI cases, you are considering foodborne illness as the cause. You look over the charts to see if any of the cases ate at the same restaurant or could have been exposed to the same infectious source somehow. Nothing strikes you as having a connection. Please rethink your choice before continuing to Section 1B. [Close]
Although you asked a careful eating history and see no obvious connection between the cases, your interest is piqued and you decide to read about how an investigation might proceed. Please continue to Section 1B for further investigation. [Close]
1A ROLE INTRODUCTION: CLINICIAN
You
are at the end of a busy 12-hour shift
in the E.D. Aside from runny noses
and ear infections, you resuscitated
one cardiac arrest patient, ruled
out M.I.s in another three, transferred
two patients to the psychiatric unit,
delivered one baby, treated two kidney
stones, three recalcitrant seizures,
and four urinary tract infections,
refilled countless medications-mostly
routine stuff. What stands out in
your mind is the three cases of severe
bloody diarrhea and four more acute
abdomens you admitted to surgery.
On one shift! You think through the
most common causes of acute, sometimes
bloody diarrhea: E. coli, shigella,
salmonella, campylobacter, and yersinia.
Based on
this information you:
Are
happy your shift is over and you can
go home now.
Think
through whether there is any relationship
between these GI cases.
Are
very concerned because of the severity
of the illness, the number of cases,
and the potential for a more widespread
problem (This may be an infectious
disease, after all).
