Marie Sumner is a client who was admitted yesterday with a Clostridium difficile infection. The client was seen in the primary care provider's office last week for a UTI and prescribed oral antibiotics. Two days after completing the course of antibiotics, the client developed severe diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever, and was sent to the hospital by their primary care provider. In the emergency department, a stool sample was collected and tested positive for Clostridium difficile. The client was admitted, placed on contact isolation, and is being treated with oral metronidazole. On assessment, the client is awake, alert, and oriented X4. They have generalized weakness and continue to have loose stools. There is a bedside commode in place, and the client requires assistance in getting to the commode. Fall safety precautions are in place. The client has a peripheral IV in the left forearm with lactated Ringer's infusing at 100 mL/hr. A blood specimen for a CBC and basic metabolic profile are due to be collected this morning. Past medical history includes hyperlipidemia and anxiety, and they take atorvastatin 20 mg by mouth daily at home. The client is widowed, lives at home alone, and has adult children who live out of state.
