Question

A 3-day-old boy evaluated for bilious emesis, abdominal distension, hypoactive bowel sounds, failure to pass meconium in the first 48 hours of life, and explosive expulsion of gas & stool during rectal exam. What is the diagnosis?

a) Meconium aspiration syndrome
b) Intestinal obstruction
c) Pyloric stenosis
d) Hirschsprung disease

Answer 1

D. Hirschsprung disease because if the child is having abdominal issues lower than the rib cage. It can cause that to happen. The child would need surgical attention.

Answer 2

The symptoms described in the question point to Hirschsprung disease, a congenital disorder characterized by the absence of ganglion cells in the distal part of the colon. Diagnosis can be confirmed through a rectal biopsy.

Step-by-step explanation:

The symptoms described in the question, including bilious emesis, abdominal distension, hypoactive bowel sounds, failure to pass meconium in the first 48 hours, and explosive expulsion of gas & stool during rectal exam, are indicative of Hirschsprung disease. Hirschsprung disease is a congenital disorder characterized by the absence of ganglion cells in the distal part of the colon, leading to functional bowel obstruction. Diagnosis is confirmed through a rectal biopsy, which will show the absence of ganglion cells in the affected area.