Left sided abdominal pain (1532/1700)

1532. A 48yo man has intermittent left sided lower abdominal pain and feels generally unwell. He has lost his appetite and has lost weight. Temp=38.3C and he has BP=190/100mmHg. What is the single inv most likely to lead to dx?
a. Colonoscopy
b. Endomysial antibodies
c. Fasting serum glucose conc
d. TFT
e. US abdomen



































answer: A

This is a slightly problematic question, the Gold standard investigation is CT scan, which is not listed, Ultrasound can show some signs of diverticulitis but it isn't a very accurate or classic investigation for it, Colonoscopy will give a definitive diagnosis, however it is not done in the acute phase for fear of precipitating toxic megacolon. The question is problematic because it does not ask for the best or most appropriate investigation from the options, it asks specifically for the most likely to lead to diagnosis. Which would be: Colonoscopy, as it's much more accurate in comparison to US.

No comments:

Post a Comment