Diarrhoea and IBS Flashcards
(100 cards)
Diarrhoea
a condition of excessively frequent and loose bowel movements
(>300g/24 hours)
Malabsorption
imperfect absorption of food material by the small intestine
What activates pancreatic proteolytic enzymes?
Trypsinogen
Stomach secretions
HCl, intrinsic factor, pepsinogen, gastrin
Gallbladder secretions
Bile (almost a litre)
Pancreatic secretions
HCO3, amylase, lipase, trypsinogen, CCK (Cholecystokinin)
Small intestine secretions
disaccharidases, peptidases
somatostatin
Anus secretions
Stool ~200g
Where do we start to absorb vitamins and nutrients?
Duodenum
What is absorbed in the duodenum?
Water soluble vitamins (active absorption)
Fat soluble (passive absorption)
Ca, Fe, An (increase by ascorbic acid, decrease with phytates)
Polysaccharides, proteins and fats
What is absorbed in jejunum?
Magnesium
What is absorbed in the ileum?
2ndary Bile acids, vit B12
What is absorbed in the large colon?
Na, Cl, water, SCFAs
What are the causes of diarrhoea?
Osmotic (non-absorbable solute)
Secretory (impaired electrolyte transport)
Exudative (intestinal mucosal damage)
Motility (increased transit)
Where are most sugars, proteins and fats absorbed?
Most polysaccharides, proteins and fats are digested and absorbed within the upper 200cm of the small intestine. Site of absorption depends on meal composition. Meat and salad absorbed high in the jejunum, while milk and doughuts are absorbed more distally, after a large amount of water has been secreted.
What are osmotic causes of diarrhoea?
Deficiency in digestive enzymes
Lactulose
Magnesium salts
Sorbitol
What are secretory causes of diarrhoea?
Bacterial endotoxins
Bile salts
Laxatives
Hormone producing tumours
What are exudative causes of diarrhoea?
Infections IBD Coeliac diseaase Irradiation Ischaemia Colon cancer
What are motility causes of diarrhoea?
Irritable bowel syndrome
Thyrotoxicosis
Autonomic neuropathy (DM)
Drugs
What do you want to find out from a patient’s history when diagnosing diarrhoea?
HISTORY OF PRESENTING COMPLAINT
Time course and severity Impact of fasting on symptoms Volume and consistency of stools Floating stools Bloody stools Nocturnal symptoms
Constitutional symptoms
- Anorexia/weight loss
- Fever
- vomiting
What could we find from past medical history, social and family history that could help in diagnosing diarrhoea?
PMH:
childhood diseases
IBD
previous GI surgery
SH/FH: foreign travel contacts w similar symptoms dietary factors (milk intolerance?) ethnicity
Causes of diarrhoea: clues on examination
General - ?ill, shock, dehydration, pyrexia, anaemia, weight loss
hands, eyes, mouth, skin, joints, lymph nodes, oedema
CVS/RS - pulse, BP, etc.
Abdomen - distension, scars
tenderness, rebound, guarding
inflammatory masses, bowel sounds
PR/Epsilon - anus, anal canal, rectal mucosa, ?blood/pus, stool
rectal biopsy
Investigations of diarrhoea
Blood tests: FBC, ESR U&E, LFT, CRP Vit B12 and folate Iron studies TFT Coeliac serology
Stool tests:
M,C and S
Elastase
Calprotectin
Functional tests:
Hydrogen breath tests
Schilling test
Imaging:
Barium studies/USS
CT/MRI
Endoscopy:
OGD with D2 biopsies
Colonoscopy
Capsule endoscopy/SBE
Gut hormone profile
Urinary catecholamines