06-19-2007, 07:48 PM
A previously healthy 6-month-old boy is brought
to the emergency
department because of a 12-hour history of
intermittent episodes of
inconsolable crying associated with drawing up of the
legs. Over the past
6 hours, he has had intermittent diarrhea that is
reddish and mucoid,
and for the past 3 hours he has been somnolent. On
examination, he is
sleepy but arousable. His temperature is 38.1 C
(100.6 F), blood
pressure is 90/55 mm Hg, pulse is 140/min, and
respirations are 38/min. He
cries when his abdomen is palpated; a mass is felt in
the right lower
quadrant. His leukocyte count is 12,400/mm3 (50%
segmented neutrophils,
8% bands, 1% eosinophils, 40% lymphocytes, and 1%
monocytes). Serum
electrolyte levels are within normal limits. An x-ray
film of the
abdomen shows no free air.
A
) Administration of parenteral antibiotics
B
) Admission to the hospital for medical management
C
) Admission to the hospital for operative
management
D
) Colon contrast studies
E
) Discharge for follow-up by personal physician
F
) Endoscopy
G
) MRI of the abdomen
H
) Observation in the emergency department
to the emergency
department because of a 12-hour history of
intermittent episodes of
inconsolable crying associated with drawing up of the
legs. Over the past
6 hours, he has had intermittent diarrhea that is
reddish and mucoid,
and for the past 3 hours he has been somnolent. On
examination, he is
sleepy but arousable. His temperature is 38.1 C
(100.6 F), blood
pressure is 90/55 mm Hg, pulse is 140/min, and
respirations are 38/min. He
cries when his abdomen is palpated; a mass is felt in
the right lower
quadrant. His leukocyte count is 12,400/mm3 (50%
segmented neutrophils,
8% bands, 1% eosinophils, 40% lymphocytes, and 1%
monocytes). Serum
electrolyte levels are within normal limits. An x-ray
film of the
abdomen shows no free air.
A
) Administration of parenteral antibiotics
B
) Admission to the hospital for medical management
C
) Admission to the hospital for operative
management
D
) Colon contrast studies
E
) Discharge for follow-up by personal physician
F
) Endoscopy
G
) MRI of the abdomen
H
) Observation in the emergency department