Search This Blog

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Not Even Two Weeks, and I'm Sick

For the Medical Case Junkie:
CC: Vomiting, upset stomach, and fever Friday night

HPI: Patient is a __ year old Asian female who complained of vomiting, upset stomach, and fever.  Patient was exposed to more than a hundred sick children for the past three days in rural Sierra Leone for screening/treating malnourished children under five.  On her way back to Freetown (capital), she ate "meat on a stick" sandwich, which she had never had before.  But so did her coworker.  Later Friday, she cut up one of the slightly overripe 7 pineapples she bought for $2.50, and ate some while she cut them up.  Her coworker had only a few pieces.  She then had some late night oatmeal as her dinner.  She felt fine until later that night at around midnight, her stomach was bothering her.  She thought it might have been due to eating oatmeal too late at night or the unfamiliar damp smell of the bed sheets.  She woke up early Saturday morning and continued to vomit the contents of her stomach out, which included pineapple, oatmeal, and malaria medicine.  There was also slight abdominal cramping and diarrhea.  She slept for a 2 hours, and woke up with a slight fever of 99.5 degrees F and continued to have an upset stomach, but no vomiting.  She then slept for another 5 hours.  Her meals for Saturday consisted of Gatorade.  She does not have aching or headache.  In the past, aside from vomiting due to coughing too much, she has not vomited since she was a baby.  Symptoms subsided Saturday afternoon.

PMH: No surgeries or hospitalizations.  Shoulder hurts currently probably due to a strain.
Allergies: No medical allergies
Medications: Doxycycline for malaria, Peptobismol for vomiting, Ibuprofen for fever.

SH: Does not drink alcohol, smoke, or do recreational drugs.  Currently living in a beautiful house in Freetown Sierra Leone with coworkers, and some Ivory Coast people downstairs.  Medical student, but working with Project Peanut Butter until August 4th.  Used to exercise regularly, but right now, has not.  Tries to eat a balanced meal, but vegetables are relatively rare and the staple food is rice and sauce. 

FH: History of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and stroke (Ya...it sucks.)

PH: No abnormal findings.

4 comments:

  1. How's you feeling now? Hope you are getting better. We will pray for you and may lord and angel be with you and protect you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Well, my stomach is only slightly queasy every once in a while, but my fever has actually gotten worse: 37.7 (99.9F). I'm eating some more ibuprofen and sleeping some more. I'm also getting a bit of a cough/headache.

    ReplyDelete
  3. ugh...hope you feel better Yi!!

    ReplyDelete