A patient presents with severe diarrhea and dehydration. Stool culture reveals the presence of a toxin-producing organism. Which organism is most likely responsible?
Practice Questions
1 question
Q1
A patient presents with severe diarrhea and dehydration. Stool culture reveals the presence of a toxin-producing organism. Which organism is most likely responsible?
Escherichia coli
Clostridium difficile
Salmonella enterica
Vibrio cholerae
Clostridium difficile is known for causing antibiotic-associated diarrhea and produces toxins that lead to severe gastrointestinal symptoms.
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
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Q
Q: A patient presents with severe diarrhea and dehydration. Stool culture reveals the presence of a toxin-producing organism. Which organism is most likely responsible?
Solution: Clostridium difficile is known for causing antibiotic-associated diarrhea and produces toxins that lead to severe gastrointestinal symptoms.
Steps: 5
Step 1: The patient has severe diarrhea and dehydration, which indicates a gastrointestinal issue.
Step 2: A stool culture is performed to identify the cause of the diarrhea.
Step 3: The stool culture reveals a toxin-producing organism, which is important for diagnosis.
Step 4: Clostridium difficile is a common organism that produces toxins and is known to cause severe diarrhea, especially after antibiotic use.
Step 5: Therefore, based on the symptoms and the stool culture results, Clostridium difficile is the most likely organism responsible.
