Medical Surgical ATI Proctored Exam Related

Review Medical Surgical ATI Proctored Exam related questions and content

A 28-year-old woman presents with abdominal pain, bloating, and diarrhea. She notes that her symptoms improve with fasting. She has a history of iron deficiency anemia. What is the most likely diagnosis?

  • A. Irritable bowel syndrome
  • B. Celiac disease
  • C. Lactose intolerance
  • D. Crohn's disease
Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The most likely diagnosis is Celiac disease (Choice B) due to the patient's symptoms of abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, and improvement with fasting, which are consistent with malabsorption seen in Celiac disease. The history of iron deficiency anemia also supports this, as it is a common complication of Celiac disease due to impaired absorption of nutrients. Irritable bowel syndrome (Choice A) typically does not improve with fasting, lactose intolerance (Choice C) does not usually cause iron deficiency anemia, and Crohn's disease (Choice D) typically presents with more severe symptoms and different patterns of improvement.