Matt’s friend Jane is also having GI problems. Jane is finding this first year at university very stressful – Homework #1 Solution

Matt’s friend Jane is also having GI problems. Jane is finding this first year at university very stressful. She is having abdominal pains and has felt like she had a fever. She has also noticed that she is running to the bathroom sometimes up to 10 times a day. Her stools are liquid and she has noticed that occasionally blood is mixed in the stool. She had a similar episode of frequent liquid stools at the end of her grade 12 year but it was not this bad. Jane goes to the student health center where she is assessed and given a referral to see one of the gastroenterologists at the University Medical Centre later that week. She is told that the university has experts who are world renown for research into Ulcerative Colitis. What type of diarrhea is Jane experiencing? A. Osmotic diarrhea: Jane’s digestion is impaired by high levels of stress. As a result non-absorbed macromolecules are drawing water into the gut lumen, thereby increasing the volume and fluidity of Jane’s stool. B. Acute diarrhea: Jane’s high stress levels make her susceptible to acute (shortterm) viral and bacterial (e.g. Escherichia Coli) infections that cause diarrhea. C. Secretory diarrhea: caused by excessive mucosal secretions from the GI tract, often as a result of stimulation of intestinal mucosal glands by bacterial toxins that Jane has likely become infected with. D. Chronic diarrhea: Jane is suffering from a chronic condition that can result in frequent loose stools for a period of 4 weeks or more. E. Exudative diarrhea: exudate drains from a damaged area of intestine into the lumen, thus increasing the volume and fluidity of Jane’s stool.