A 43-year-old woman is admitted to the hospital because of right lower lobe pneumonia. Her teeth are badly decayed and she has a history of poorly controlled seizures. Antibiotic treatment is prescribed for the pneumonia. Within 3 days she is much improved. However, on the seventh hospital day she has a recurrence of fever and new onset of diarrhea and abdominal tenderness. The best course of action is to
A. Draw blood cultures and increase intravenous fluids
B. Evaluate the stool for toxin using enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and change antibiotics to metronidazole
C. Send a stool sample for culture and change antibiotics to a quinolone
D. Send a stool sample for fecal leukocytes; treat with a different antibiotic only if it is positive
Answer:B
A 43-year-old woman is admitted to the hospital because of right lower lobe pneumonia. Her teeth are badly decayed and she has a history of poorly controlled seizures. Antibiotic treatment is prescribed for the pneumonia. Within 3 days she is much improved. However, on the seventh hospital day she has a recurrence of fever and new onset of diarrhea and abdominal tenderness. The best course of action is to
A. Draw blood cultures and increase intravenous fluids B. Evaluate the stool for toxin using enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and change antibiotics to metronidazole C. Send a stool sample for culture and change antibiotics to a quinolone D. Send a stool sample for fecal leukocytes; treat with a different antibiotic only if it is positive