Celiac Disease : A Guide to Successful Diagnosis and Treatment

Celiac disease (CD), once considered rare, is now understood to be common. In the patient with CD, malabsorption of nutrients occurs as a result of the ingestion of gluten proteins and a combination of heredity, immune factors, and the environment. Diagnosis is made through clinical presentation, serology, and small bowel biopsy. Current treatment is lifetime gluten abstinence. An exemplar case of an adolescent patient is presented to guide the clinician through assessment and proper diagnosis of CD. Using health promotion-focused assessment questions, clinicians can work with patients to develop interventions that incorporate necessary lifestyle changes.