Differential Diagnosis for Abdominal Pain and Diarrhea
The patient's symptoms of abdominal pain, low-grade fever, and diarrhea after eating at Chipotle suggest a gastrointestinal issue. Here's a categorized differential diagnosis:
- Single Most Likely Diagnosis
- Food poisoning (likely from consuming contaminated food at Chipotle): This is the most probable diagnosis given the temporal relationship between eating at Chipotle and the onset of symptoms. Common pathogens include Salmonella, E. coli, and Campylobacter.
- Other Likely Diagnoses
- Viral gastroenteritis: This could be a possibility if the patient was exposed to a viral gastrointestinal pathogen, which can cause similar symptoms.
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) exacerbation: Although less likely given the acute onset, an exacerbation of IBS could present with abdominal pain and diarrhea, especially if triggered by a specific food.
- Do Not Miss Diagnoses
- Appendicitis: Although the patient's symptoms do not strongly suggest appendicitis (e.g., no mention of migratory pain or localized tenderness), it is a critical diagnosis not to miss due to the potential for severe complications if untreated.
- Intestinal obstruction: This is another critical diagnosis that, although less likely, could present with abdominal pain and diarrhea, especially if there's a history of abdominal surgery or other predisposing factors.
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) flare: If the patient has a history of IBD (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis), a flare could present with similar symptoms and is important not to miss.
- Rare Diagnoses
- Giardiasis: An infection caused by the Giardia parasite, which can lead to gastrointestinal symptoms but is less common and typically associated with travel or exposure to contaminated water.
- Yersiniosis: A bacterial infection caused by Yersinia enterocolitica, which can cause abdominal pain and diarrhea but is relatively rare.
- Food allergy or intolerance: While not typically presenting with such acute symptoms, a severe food allergy or intolerance could potentially cause gastrointestinal distress, though this would be less likely given the context.