Pathophysiology-Gastro Disorders Case Analysis - Essay Example

Case Analysis Possible Clinical Diagnosis Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a functional disease which means that either the nerves controlling the organs or the muscles of the organs are functioning improperly, which causes malfunction of the organs. Different patients of IBS experience different types of symptoms. Symptoms commonly experienced include but are not limited to intermittent diarrhea and constipation, gas, abdominal pain, and mucus in the feces. If not of IBS, the Wall Street broker in the case might be a patient of the Crohn’s disease.

The stool becomes black as a result of the intestinal bleeding. Symptoms of Crohn’s disease include blood in the stool, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and fatigue.TestsThe criteria used to diagnose a patient with IBS include three sets called as the Rome I, Rome II, and Rome III. Rome III is the most recent amongst the three criteria. According to Rome III, the patient should feel abdominal discomfort at least once a week continued over a period of a minimum of two months in order to be identified with IBS.

The discomfort experienced by the patient must include two out of the following three symptoms:“Relief with a bowel movementOnset associated with a change in the frequency of bowel movementOnset associated with a change in the form (appearance) of stool” (Marks, 2012). As the information pertinent to the case suggests that the Wall Street broker took Metamucil to have regular bowel movements, it can be inferred that he would have experienced a relief with a bowel movement. However, the problem he came up with after taking Metamucil was that his feces had turned black in color for the last several days, which clearly indicates that he has experienced the onset related to a change in the stool’s appearance.

This satisfies the condition of the Rome III criterion that in order to be diagnosed with IBS, the patient must experience two of the three aforementioned symptoms. Since the Wall Street broker has been experiencing these changes over the last several days, the condition that the abdominal discomfort must be experienced at least once a week is also satisfied. The only thing that needs to be considered before diagnosing the patient with IBS is the factor of persistence of the symptoms over the last two months.

So the Rome III criterion can be used to diagnose the patient in the case with IBS if the symptoms persist over a period of two months. Colonoscopy is one of the tests used to diagnose the Crohn’s disease. The clinician inserts a flexible tube into the rectum to reach the colon. Images of the inside of the colon are taken with the light and camera fixed to the end of the tube so that inflammation inside the colon can be seen. Treatments If the patient is diagnosed with IBS, the treatment would focus on the alleviation of symptoms since the true cause of IBS is unknown.

IBS is treated with antidepressant, anti-diarrheal medications, and fiber supplements. Crohn’s disease is treated through medication. Medications prescribed include loperamide to treat diarrhea, antibiotics like ciproflaxin, and corticosteroids like prednisone. References:Marks, J. W. (2012). Irritable bowel syndrome. Retrieved from http://www.medicinenet.com/irritable_bowel_syndrome/page4.htm#tocf.