Had Abdominal Cramps And Diarrhea, Have Bloody Mucus With No Stool. Suggest?

Brief Answer:
Gastroenteritis

Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXXX


Thanks for your query. If diarrhea is not a usual thing for you, the chances of this being an infection are quite high; over 90% of acute diarrhea episodes are infectious in nature and most of them caused by viruses, a smaller proportion by bacteria. When caused by bacteria, they can present with dysentery (blood in stool) and many times an antibiotic is prescribed, such as TMP-SMX or a fluoroquinolone. However, given your risk factors for vascular disease, other more serious conditions such as mesenteric ischemia have to be contemplated, and thus the best course of action would be to be seen and examined by a provider in urgent care/ED as a few tests may be required to make this distinction.


Yours truly,


Dr Brenes-Salazar MD
Mayo Clinic MN

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Brief Answer:
Agree

Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXXX

I agree that is a reasonable strategy. Sometimes gastroenteritis presents only with diarrhea, or vomiting, or both, so the abscence of those symptoms does not exclude the diagnosis; nevertheless, I would advise you if abdominal pain worsens to seek urgent care, as I mention, despite the fact that you are young, with risk factors such as diabetes mesenteric ischemia cannot be ignored. That being said, common things being common, it is likely an episode of acute enteritis.

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Brief Answer:
Likewise

Detailed Answer:
Same to you XXXXX, God speed

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