3 - Diarrhea Flashcards
(206 cards)
What is diarrhea defined as?
Loose, watery defecation occurring at least three or more times in a day.
What is the primary difference between acute and chronic diarrhea?
Acute diarrhea has a sudden onset and lasts for a short duration, while chronic diarrhea lasts for weeks to months to years.
List the four biochemical mechanisms of diarrhea.
- Secretory
- Osmotic
- Inflammatory
- Disordered transit time
What is secretory diarrhea characterized by?
Persistent diarrhea despite cessation of oral intake.
What causes osmotic diarrhea?
Osmotically active particles in the small intestine pulling water into the gut lumen.
What are some examples of conditions that lead to osmotic diarrhea?
- Lactose intolerance
- Celiac disease
- Pancreatic maldigestion
- Osmotic laxatives (sorbitol)
What are the cardinal manifestations of inflammatory diarrhea?
- Fever
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea containing blood and mucus
What characterizes dysmotility diarrhea?
Altered motility (intestinal transit time) that is either too rapid or too slow.
What common condition can lead to small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)?
Long-standing type 1 diabetes complicated by damage to the autonomic nervous system.
What is steatorrhea?
Diarrhea containing an excess of fatty material.
What does the term ‘malabsorption’ refer to?
The gut’s inability to assimilate adequate calories (protein, carbohydrate, fat, minerals, or vitamins necessary to maintain homeostasis).
What is the significance of differentiating pancreatic maldigestion from intestinal mucosal disease?
It leads to the correct diagnosis and guides treatment more expeditiously.
What is the clinical presentation of chronic pancreatitis in children typically characterized by?
Steatorrhea and weight loss.
What does a fecal fat test using Sudan staining indicate?
The presence of fat malabsorption.
What is the principal monosaccharide in our diet?
Glucose.
Name some disaccharides found in the human diet.
- Sucrose
- Lactose
- Trehalose
What role do ATP-dependent sodium glucose transport proteins (SGLT1) play in nutrient absorption?
They facilitate the diffusion of glucose and galactose from the gut lumen into the enterocytes.
Fill in the blank: Diarrhea is a major cause of ______ in resource-poor countries.
mortality
True or False: Diarrhea is always the cardinal manifestation of malabsorption.
False
What might be misdiagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome?
Celiac disease.
What is the role of pancreatic amylase in carbohydrate digestion?
It continues the digestion of carbohydrates to maltose, maltotriose, and isomaltose.
What is the term for the inactive precursor of a digestive enzyme?
Zymogen.
What are alpha-limit dextrins?
Short chain polymers of glucose with branching after incomplete digestion by alpha amylase.
What is the significance of a tissue transglutaminase (tTG) IgA test?
It helps investigate the possibility of celiac disease.