02-02-2017, 04:29 AM
A 25-year-old woman with Crohn's disease presents to your office with recurrent abdominal pain and diarrhea. She has been taking mesalamine 4 grams per day for the last year. Last fall, after developing diarrhea and pain, she was placed on prednisone 60 mg daily. She had a complete remission and, after a 3-month tapering of the prednisone, suffered a relapse. Prednisone was restarted 2 months ago at 60 mg daily, and now as the dose has decreased to 20 mg per day, the diarrhea has recurred. She is having 6 to 8 water stools per day, crampy pain, and some weight loss. What would be the best next step?
(A) Restart the prednisone and plan to maintain the dose at 40-60 mg indefinitely
(B) Restart the prednisone with 6-mercaptopurine and plan on prednisone taper in 2 months
© Stop the prednisone and add cyclosporine
(D) Admit to the hospital and give high-dose intravenous steroids to induce remission
(E) Stop the mesalamine and add methotrexate
(A) Restart the prednisone and plan to maintain the dose at 40-60 mg indefinitely
(B) Restart the prednisone with 6-mercaptopurine and plan on prednisone taper in 2 months
© Stop the prednisone and add cyclosporine
(D) Admit to the hospital and give high-dose intravenous steroids to induce remission
(E) Stop the mesalamine and add methotrexate