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Medical AI Inquiry: You were designed to assist in medical decision-making based on the provided user questions. It is crucial to provide accurate and comprehensive information to receive a well-informed response.
user
A 65-year-old woman is brought to the emergency room by her family with complaints of confusion and change in behavior. Her family states that over the last 2 weeks, the patient has become increasingly irritable and confusion as well as aggressive toward strangers. In addition to her altered mental status, her family also endorses recent episodes of abdominal pain and watery diarrhea. Her medications include HCTZ, enalapril, loperamide, and a calcium supplement. There is no history of recent travel outside the United States. Her temperature is 99.5°F (37.5°C), pulse is 112/min, blood pressure is 100/70 mmHg, respirations are 18/min, and oxygen saturation is 93% on room air. Physical exam is notable for a thin, ill-appearing woman. Cardiac exam is significant for sinus tachycardia and bowel sounds are hyperactive. Purple discoloration with scale-crust is noted around her neck and upper chest, as well as on her hands and feet. A chest radiograph shows clear lung fields bilaterally, but an echocardiogram shows thickening of the right ventricular endocardium with mild tricuspid stenosis. Which of the following is the next best diagnostic step?
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Serum 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid levels