Giant faecoloma in young children: a case study.

This article explains why emergency nurse practitioners and their primary care colleagues should not be complacent about the ease with which apparently common conditions can be treated and should always be aware of unusual diagnoses. With reference to a case study of a young child who presented to an emergency department with suspected gastroenteritis, it explains how, after previous medical history and x-rays had been studied, a more complex and potentially harmful condition was diagnosed. It goes on to discuss how this condition, giant faecoloma, should be treated and how the families of young children with serious conditions should be kept informed at every stage of such treatments.