A patient presents with severe diarrhea and dehydration. Stool culture reveals t
Practice Questions
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
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
A patient presents with severe diarrhea and dehydration. Stool culture reveals the presence of a toxin-producing organism. Which organism is most likely responsible?
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.
Clostridium difficile Infection – Clostridium difficile is a bacterium that can cause severe diarrhea, often following antibiotic use, due to its toxin production.
Toxin-Producing Organisms – Certain bacteria produce toxins that can lead to gastrointestinal symptoms, making it crucial to identify them in cases of severe diarrhea.
Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea – Diarrhea that occurs after antibiotic treatment, often due to disruption of normal gut flora, allowing C. difficile to proliferate.
