Question

A 28 year old female patient complains of intermittent abdominal pain, accompanied by diarrhea or sometimes constipation. This has been happening off and on over the past few years and recently has been interrupting her daily activities. 
As the medical assistant interviewing this patient, what are some standard questions that you might ask her about her symptoms? Why is this information so important for the doctor to know and what tests would most likely be ordered?  

Answer 1

How would you describe the pain, example sharp, dull,achy. Where is the pain located URQ,ULQ,LRQ,LLQ,middle of abdomen.Has the pt tried any medications either prescribed or otc. Any history of gastro problems or history of colon cancer in family.This Information is important To the doctor because it helps properly dx the pt. Some test would be stool sample, blood drawn to check for abnormal levels. And a breath test to check for bacteria.