Chronic GI and GI Bleeds Flashcards
(122 cards)
Iron deficiency anemia in __ or __ should make you consider colon cancer with GI bleeding.
Iron deficiency anemia in a man or a post-menopausal woman should make you consider colon cancer with GI bleeding.
R sided vs L sided colon cancer presentations
- R sided: Stool is still loose and fluid, so there is no obstuction. Rather, these will present with bleeding or anemia
- L sided: Stool is firm and obstructable. Will present with constipation or with intermittent constipation and diarrhea.
Low-risk polyps
- Small
- Pednuculated
- Biopsy shows tubular adenoma
High-risk polyps
- Large
- Sessile (no stalk)
- Villous
Colon cancer Tx
- CT for staging
- Surgical resection where appropriate
- FOLFOX/FOLFIRI + rad, + bevacizumab if metastatic
When to come back for endoscopy w/ common endoscopy findings
- Nothing: 10 y
- Benign polyp: 5 y
- Carcinoma-in-situ or dysplasia: 1-3 y depending upon features
Fistulotomies in Crohn’s
- Indications: Refractory to medical therapy OR patient wants it done (elective)
- HIGHLY likely to recur in Crohn’s – this is why it is not routinely done.
Internal hemorrhoids ___, but don’t ___.
External hemorrhoids ___, but don’t ___.
Internal hemorrhoids bleed, but don’t hurt.
External hemorrhoids hurt, but don’t bleed.
This is easy to remember if you recall that the more external portion of the rectum will be somatically innervated.
Diagnosing and treating hemorrhoids
- Dx is clinical.
- If you can see them, you’re done
- If you can’t see them (suspected internal), do anoscopy
- DO NOT do a flexible sigmoidoscopy. Too invasive and too far.
- Tx:
- Initial management: Conesrvative w/ Sitz baths, preparation H cream
- If above fails:
- Internal: Banding
- External: Resection
- Note: We don’t resect internal hemorrhoids because they may scar and obstruct the rectum.
Anal fissure
- Path: Tight sphincter
- Pres: Pain on defecation, lasts for hours. Patients often avoid stooling, poop gets dehydrated, when they eventually do have to poop it is abbrasive to the bowel wall.
- Dx: Clinical
- Tx:
- Conservative: Nitroglycerin paste, Sitz baths
- Lateral internal sphincterotomy
Anal cancer
- Essentially cervical cancer of the anus
- Pathology: HPV, squamous cell carcinoma
- Pres: In someone who has anal receptive sex, increased risk in MSM and those w/ HIV
- People who have HIV must be screened w/ Pap
- Dx: Anal Pap followed by biopsy
- Tx: Nigro protocol of chemo and radiation.
Pilonidal cyst
- Path: Abscessed hair follicle
- Pres: Congenital cyst. Hair follicle grows into it. Leads to abscess.
- Dx: Clinical
- Tx: Incision and drainage. Then, take to OR to resect.
Indications for colectomy in ulcerative colitis
- If on presentation:
- Toxic megacolon
- Colonic perforation
- Life-threatening GI hemorrhage
- Otherwise, only if refractory to medical therapy.
“Resectable” Pancreatic adenocarcinoma criteria
- No involvement of arteries
- < 180 degree involvement of veins
- No metastases
Division of upper and lower GI bleeds
Ligament of Treitz

Melena means that. . .
. . . the blood was in the GI tract for at least 14 hours
May be upper GI, maybe not
Hematochezia usually indicates. . .
. . . lower GI bleed OR profuse upper GI bleed (ruptured varix, etc)
Workup for GI bleed with tachycardia
- 2 large bore IV needles
- Blood labs (CBC, CMP, coags)
- Follow-up with q4h Hgb
- Blood type, screen, crossmatch
- Start a PPI (stabilizes clot by raising pH of the gastric lumen)
- IF CIRRHOTI: Octreotide + Abx
It takes __ for Hgb to adjust to acute blood loss
It takes 12-17 hours for Hgb to adjust to acute blood loss
Dieulafoy lesion
Vein abberantly grows to flow through the mucosa, then develops a pinpoint breech in the vessel wall through which
While most diverticulosis occurs in ___, a bleeding diverticulosis is more likely to be ___.
While most diverticulosis occurs in the sigmoid colon, a bleeding diverticulosis is more likely to be on the right side.
Most sensitive and specific test for GI bleed
Angiography
BUT, they need to be bleeding more than 1 mL / minute.
This is used for patients who are unstable and actively bleeding and for whom initial workup has failed.
Usually preceded by CT-A so that the lesion location is relatively known, then angiography can be used diagnostically and therapeutically
Tagged RBC scan
Most sensitive test for GI bleed, even if < 1 mL/minute.
Tag is with Tc.
Problem is that it is nonspecific: It does not show if he is bleeding from a specific area, more like “he’s bleeding vaguely in the LUQ”
Friends mnemonic for fistula risk factors
- Foreign body
- Radiation
- Infection
- Epithelialization
- Neoplasm
- Distal obstruction
- Steroids









