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26th June 2023
A 24-year-old female is admitted to A&E with a one-day history of loose stools but no melaena or blood per rectum.
A 24-year-old female is admitted to A&E with a one-day history of loose stools but no melaena or blood per rectum. She has no past medical history and no known allergies. She has not had symptoms like this before but mentions she went to a friend’s house for dinner five days ago and some of the other guests are also ill. The admitting doctor performs some blood tests:
| Na+ | 141 mmol/L | (135-145 mmol/L) |
| K+ | 5.4 mmol/L | (3.5 – 5.3 mmol/L) |
| Urea | 12 mmol/L | (2.0-7 mmol/L) |
| Cr | 300 μmol/L | (55-120 μmol/L) |
| Alb | 38 g/L | (34-54 g/L) |
| Hb | 120g/L | Female (115-160g/L) |
| WBC | 13.0 x 109/L | (4.0-11.0 x 109/L) |
| Platelets | 190 x 109/L | (150-500 x 109/L) |
| MCV | 90 fL | (82-100fL) |
| Neutrophils | 5.0 x 10⁹/L | (2.0-7.0 x 10⁹/L) |
| Lymphocytes | 3.0 x 10⁹/L | (1.0-3.5 x 10⁹/L) |
| Eosinophils | 0.9 x 10⁹/L | (0.1-0.4 x 10⁹/L) |
What is the most likely cause of the patient’s loose stools?
Select the SINGLE most appropriate option from the list below. Select ONE option only.
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