23rd April 2024

A 28-year-old man with known ulcerative colitis presents with increasing frequency of diarrhoea with PR bleeding

A 28-year-old man with known ulcerative colitis presents with increasing frequency of diarrhoea with PR bleeding, abdominal pain, and feeling generally unwell. He reports that for the last 4 days his bowels are opening 14 times per day. On examination, he is alert, though dehydrated. BP is 110/88 mmHg, HR is 101, and he is pyrexial. Abdomen is soft, though he is tender in the left iliac fossa with some localised guarding. Which of the following is the most appropriate immediate course of action in this patient?

Select the SINGLE most appropriate option from the list below. Select ONE option only.