MEDizzy - You are performing a physical examination on a student

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Preventive Medicine

You are performing a physical examination on a student traveling to Mexico with her college Spanish class. She is well and has no chronic conditions. She is concerned about traveler’s diarrhea and asks about prevention strategies. Which of the following is consistent with the current guideline from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for prevention of traveler’s diarrhea?

ExplanationThe CDC does not recommend antibiotic chemoprophylaxis for traveler’s diarrhea because of the development of resistant organisms. Most times, the condition is self-limited. However, they do suggest that antibiotic prophylaxis can be considered in those who are immunocompromised or in those in which illness would be catastrophic for their travel. In this case, ciprofloxacin or rifaximin is recommended and effective in preventing traveler’s diarrhea. BSS may also be used for the prevention of traveler’s diarrhea. The CDC does recommend using common sense regarding food and water, eating nothing unless it is boiled, peeled, or cooked.