In your initial discussion post, answer the questions related to the case scenario and support your response with at least one evidence-based reference. Case Scenario: An 84-?year-old?-female who has a history of diverticular disease presents to the clinic with left lower quadrant (LLQ) pain of the abdomen that?is accompanied?by with constipation, nausea, vomiting and a?low-grade?fever (100.20?F) for 1 day. On physical exam the patient appears unwell. She has signs of dehydration (pale mucosa, poor skin turgor with mild hypotension [90/60 mm Hg] and tachycardia [101 bpm]). The remainder of her exam is normal except for her abdomen where the NP notes a distended, round contour. Bowel sounds a faint and very hypoactive. She is tender to light palpation of the LLQ but without rebound tenderness. There is hyper-resonance of her abdomen to percussion.?? The following diagnostics reveal:?? Stool for occult blood is positive. Flat plate abdominal x-ray demonstrates a bowel-gas pattern consistent with an ileus.? Abdominal CT scan with contrast shows no evidence of a mass or abscess. Small bowel in distended.? Based on the clinical presentation, physical exam and diagnostic findings, the patient is diagnosed with acute diverticulitis and she is admitted to the hospital. She is prescribed intravenous antibiotics and fluids (IVF). Her symptoms improved and she could tolerate a regular diet before she was discharged to home. ??

 Identify the clinical findings from the case that supports a diagnosis of acute diverticulitis. Acute diverticulitis can causeabdominal pain, fever, nausea, and a marked change in bowel habits (Mayo Clinic, 2022). In addition, constipation, diarrhea, distention, flatulence, and tenderness of the lower left quadrant (McCance & Huether, 2019). Therefore, the clinical findings from the case study support the diagnosis of acute diverticulitis as the patient presents with left lower quadrant (LLQ) pain of the abdomen, constipation, nausea, vomiting, and 100.20 F low-grade fever for one day. Also, positive occult blood is found in the stool and the flat plate abdominal x-ray demonstrates a bowel-gas pattern consistent with an ileus. 3.List 3 risk factors for acute diverticulitis. Three risk factors for acute diverticulitis include poor fiber intake, obesity, and medication use, such as aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (McCance & Huether, 2019). It has been reported that a diet with increased fiber intake can help decrease the risk of diverticular disease (diverticulosis) and prevent diverticulitis (Barbaro et al., 2022). Also, obesity has been cited to be a risk factor for numerous gastrointestinal diseases due tobeing associated with a decrease in microbial diversity and a change in microbial composition within the gastrointestinal mucosa lining (Barbaro et al., 2022). In addition, due to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) causing gastrointestinal bleeding theregular use of these drugs has been associated with an increased risk of diverticular bleeding as well as complicated diverticulitis, especially perforation (Munie & Nalamati, 2018).