system
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 50-year-old man presents to the emergency department complaining of blood in his stool. He reports that this morning he saw bright red blood in the toilet bowl. He denies fatigue, headache, weight loss, palpitations, constipation, or diarrhea. He has well-controlled hypertension and takes hydrochlorothiazide. His father has rheumatoid arthritis, and his mother has Graves disease. The patient’s temperature is 98°F (36.7°C), blood pressure is 128/78 mmHg, and pulse is 70/min. He appears well. No source for the bleeding is appreciated upon physical examination, including a digital rectal exam. A fecal occult blood test is positive. Which of the following is the most appropriate initial diagnostic test to rule out malignancy?
assistant
Colonoscopy