© 2012 Keith Rischer/www.KeithRN.com

Rapid Reasoning: Clostridium difficile Colitis

Chief Complaint/History of Present Illness:
Mindy Perkins is a 48 year old woman who presents to the ED with 10-15 loose, liquid stools daily for the past
2 days. She completed a course of oral Amoxacillin seven days ago for a dental infection. In addition to loose
stools, she complains of lower abd. pain that began 2 days ago as well. She has not noted any blood in the
stool. She denies vomiting or fever/chills. She is on Prednisone for Crohn’s disease as well as Pantaprazole
(Protonix) for severe GERD.

Past Medical History:

 Crohn’s disease

 GERD
Your Initial VS:

T: 100.2 (o)
P: 92
R: 20
BP: 122/78
O2 sats: 98% RA
Ortho BP’s: Lying: 122/78 HR: 92
Standing: 120/70 HR: 114

Your Initial Nursing Assessment:
GENERAL APPEARANCE: appears weak and uncomfortable. Easily fatigued
RESP: breath sounds clear with equal aeration bilat., non-labored
CARDIAC: pink, warm & dry, S1S2, no edema, pulses 3+ in all extremities
NEURO: alert & oriented x4
GI/GU: active BS in all quads, abd. soft/tender to palpation in lower abd-no rebound tenderness or
guarding
MISC: Lips dry, oral mucosa tacky with no shiny saliva present in mouth

Nursing Interventions:

 Orthostatic BP’s (ED standing order)

 Establish PIV (ED standing order)

 Initiate enteric precautions (ED standing order)

Physician Orders:

 0.9% NS 1000 mL IV bolus

 Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) 1 mg IVP

 Stool culture for C. difficile

 BMP, CBC

 Vancomycin 250 mg po
o 1000 mg/20 mL…determine dosage to administer

 Admit to medical unit

Lab/diagnostic Results:

 Stool culture for C. difficile: Positive

WILDA Pain Scale (5th VS)

Words: Crampy

Intensity: 7/10

Location: Generalized throughout RLQ-LLQ

Duration: Persistent since onset 2 days ago

Aggreviate:
Alleviate:

None
None

CBC Current High/Low

WBC 12.6

HGB 14.5

PLTS 188

Neuts. % 86

Lymphs % 10

BMP Current High/Low

Sodium 132

Potassium 3.5

Creatinine 1.45

BUN 47

CO2 18

© 2012 Keith Rischer/www.KeithRN.com

1. What data from the chief complaint, VS & nursing assessment is RELEVANT that must be
recognized as clinically significant to the nurse?

RELEVANT data:
Chief complaint:

VS/assessment:

Rationale:

2. What lab/diagnostic results are RELEVANT that must be recognized as clinically significant to the
nurse?

RELEVANT Diagnostic results:

Rationale:

3. What is the primary problem that your patient is most likely presenting with?

4. What is the underlying cause /pathophysiology of this concern?

© 2012 Keith Rischer/www.KeithRN.com

5. What nursing priority will guide your plan of care?

6.What interventions will you initiate based on this priority?

Nursing Interventions
1.

2.

3.

4.

Rationale:
1.

2.

3.

4.

Expected Outcome:
1.

2.

3.

4.

7. What is the relationship between the following nursing interventions/physician orders and your
patient’s primary medical problem?

Nsg. Interventions/MD orders:
Orthostatic BP’s
(ED standing order)

Establish PIV
(ED standing order)

Initiate enteric precautions
(ED standing order)

0.9% NS 1000 mL IV bolus

Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) 1 mg
IVP

Stool culture for C. difficile

BMP

CBC

Vancomycin 250 mg po

Admit to medical unit

Rationale: Expected Outcome:

© 2012 Keith Rischer/www.KeithRN.com

8. What body system(s) will you most thoroughly assess based on the patient’s chief complaint and
primary/priority concern?

9. What is the worst possible complication to anticipate? (start with A-B-C priorities)

10. What nursing assessment(s) will you need to initiate to identify and respond to quickly if this
complication develops?

11. What is the patient likely experiencing/feeling right now in this situation?

12. What can you do to engage yourself with this patient’s experience, and show that they matter to
you as a person?