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Gastrointestinal disorders
Various gastrointestinal disorders may present with similar symptoms which may make the diagnosis difficult especially when the information provided in the patient history is not sufficient. In the case study presented, the patient presents with the symptoms of weight loss, anorexia, epigastric tenderness, and chronic heartburn. From the information garnered from the patient history, the risk factors included the use of NSAIDS and smoking.
Apart from peptic ulcer disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and gastric cancer, the differential diagnosis would include other conditions such as abdominal pain syndrome as well as dyspepsia (Agarwal & Mayer, 2013). The definite diagnosis is difficult to make since the patient did not provide sufficient information regarding the disorder.
For instance, the health care professional ought to ask the patient of the history of the occurrence of such a condition in members of the immediate family so as to rule out any genetic predisposition to the disorder (Agarwal & Mayer, 2013). Also, it would have been important if the patient was asked about having taken opioids or any other related drugs (Talley & Ford, 2015).
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Again it is important that various tests such as imaging tests be taken on the patients to assist in making the definitive diagnosis (Talley & Ford, 2015). Some further tests that should have been done include virtual colonoscopy and computed tomography to examine the patient intensively for any conditions that could have been causing the disorder. Also, magnetic resonance imaging could also have been used to rule out the possibility of the patient having any malignancies within the gastrointestinal system (Agarwal & Mayer, 2013).
More so it is recommended that endoscopy is conducted on the patient to determine or rule out the occurrence of peptic ulcer disease (Talley & Ford, 2015). Additionally, blood tests should be carried out on the patients to determine if they are suffering from the narcotic bowel syndrome.
References
Agarwal, S., & Mayer, L. (2013). Diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal disorders in patients with primary immunodeficiency. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 11(9), 1050-1063.
Talley, N. J., & Ford, A. C. (2015). Functional dyspepsia. New England Journal of Medicine, 373(19), 1853-1863.
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