ABSTRACT
A 74-year-old man was admitted to hospital complaining of diarrhoea. He reported passing watery green-brown stool, up to 20 times in the preceding 24 h. He had not experienced any episodes of vomiting or abdominal pain. His past medical history included chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, with several infective exacerbations over the past 2 months, all of which were treated with courses of prednisolone and antibiotics. His regular medications included carbocisteine 375 mg BD, a salbutamol inhaler and a budesonide/formoterol combination inhaler. He was a retired psychologist, was an ex-smoker with a 40-pack year history, and did not drink alcohol regularly.
