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 68-year-old woman is brought to the emergency department with intense abdominal pain for the past 2 hours. She has had 1 episode of bloody diarrhea recently. She has an 18-year history of diabetes mellitus. She was diagnosed with hypertension and ischemic heart disease 6 years ago. She is fully alert and oriented. Her temperature is 37.5°C (99.5°F), blood pressure is 145/90 mm Hg, pulse is 78/min, and respirations are 14/min. Abdominal examination shows mild generalized abdominal tenderness without guarding or rebound tenderness. An abdominal plain X-ray shows no abnormalities. Abdominal CT reveals colonic wall thickening and pericolonic fat stranding in the splenic curvature. Bowel rest, intravenous hydration, and IV antibiotics are initiated. Which of the following is the most important diagnostic evaluation at this time?
assistant
Inpatient observation