EHEC vs Campylobacter

[gregoryhouse]

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I was doing Qbank questions today and came across one that really made me scratch my head.

Basically the only details it gave were, a previously healthy 60 something yo comes in with severe abdominal pain, low grade fever, bloody diarrhea. He frequents a fast food restaurant.

Then it asked what is the most likely cause of his disease. I picked campylobacter since its the most common infectious food borne disease that causes those problems but the answer was EHEC.

Without any additional lab tests how was I supposed to differentiate, is there some connection I am missing here?

 

[lymphohystiocytosis]

Fast food restaurant = burger = ecoli.

Classic question, this will be an auto-click once you do enough questions.

 

[Daodejing]

O157:H7 all day when you're eating those raw undercooked hamburgers mmm.

 

[notbobtrustme]

campylobacter -> environmental exposure, usually water or new pet.

ehec -> fast food, undercooked beef. think food exposure.

as lymphohystiocytosis said, this will become an autoclick once you learn those principles.

 

[DocVapor]

Also, get familiar with answering questions based on the relative incidences of disease and complications, and magnitude of effect. Many questions will have two answers that are technically correct, but you need to know which one is more common / more likely / would have the largest effect.

 

[gregoryhouse]

Thanks for the replies guys!

 

[pathologyDO]

The H in EHEC means hamburger, did you not know this? (Totally joking, just sarcasm. But that's how I remember it)

 

[Priapism4tooLong]

The H in EHEC means hamburger, did you not know this? (Totally joking, just sarcasm. But that's how I remember it)

Environmental Hamburger EnteroColitis

 

[DermViser]

I was doing Qbank questions today and came across one that really made me scratch my head.

Basically the only details it gave were, a previously healthy 60 something yo comes in with severe abdominal pain, low grade fever, bloody diarrhea. He frequents a fast food restaurant.

Then it asked what is the most likely cause of his disease. I picked campylobacter since its the most common infectious food borne disease that causes those problems but the answer was EHEC.

Without any additional lab tests how was I supposed to differentiate, is there some connection I am missing here?

USMLE Step 1 tends to be classic presentation. That's the key here. This isn't how real life is like but that's not the purpose of Step 1.
Mayonnaise left outside in a picnic = Staph aureus
Rice = Bacillus Cereus

 

[Sublimazing]

USMLE Step 1 tends to be classic presentation. That's the key here. This isn't how real life is like but that's not the purpose of Step 1.
Mayonnaise left outside in a picnic = Staph aureus
Rice = Bacillus Cereus

Like a bunch of french legionnaires with their silver helmets sitting around a charcoal campfire with their iron daggers...they're no sissies

 

[DermViser]

Like a bunch of french legionnaires with their silver helmets sitting around a charcoal campfire with their iron daggers...they're no sissies

It's funny how whether you're in Dentistry or Medicine the basic sciences are taught almost exactly the same by PhDs (probably excluding Pathology maybe where there is more a concentration Oral Pathology)

 

[Sublimazing]

It's funny how whether you're in Dentistry or Medicine the basic sciences are taught almost exactly the same by PhDs (probably excluding Pathology maybe where there is more a concentration Oral Pathology)

Yes, I could tell you things about koplik spots that would blow your mind...sending you into an amphetamine-withdrawl-like existential crisis