Dyspepsia + GERD Flashcards
(49 cards)
Define dyspesia
epigastric pain lasting >/= 1 month
20% in population
Define GERD
Gastroesophageal reflux disease
- troublesome, freq acid regurgitation or heartburn
- incidence is 40% of the population
How is dyspepsia and GERD simlar?
- considerable symptom overlap
- difficult to differentiate based on pt history alone
- many patients seek self-care options
Dyspepsia pathophys
- what are some abnormalities that lead to it? (7)
- what is it called with no abnormalities?
- Peptic ulcer disease (15-25%)
- Reflux esophagitis (5-15%)
- Gastric/esophageal cancer (<2%)
- Food intolerances (eg. Lactase deficiency)
- Medications/NHPs
- Infections
- other diseases (Celiac, Crohn’s)
- If no structural or biochemical abnormalities found, then referred to as functional, idiopathic, or non-ulcer
dyspepsia
GERD pathophys
4 possibilities
- mutlifactorial
possible:
1. Defective lower esophageal sphincter (LES): normally prevents backing up of gastric contents
2. Hiatal hernia: when stomach herniates above diaphragm, pressure on GI area
3. Impaired esophageal peristalsis / delayed gastric emptying: decreases clearance of acidic materal, increases volume and pressure in stomach causing reflux of gastric contents into esophagus
- excess gastric acid production
Name 3 other risk factors for GERD
- drugs
- Benzos, opioids, nicotine - lifestyle
- smoking, obesity, diet (weak associations but may worsen symptoms)
- Fatty foods delay gastric emptying
- Carbonated drinks cause distension and sphincter relaxation
- Chocolate, coffee, and alcohol may reduce sphincter tone - other: age>65, pregnancy, stress and anxiety
What are some complications that come with GERD? (6)
esophagus more vulnerable to damage with acid
- esophagus inflamm
- ulcers - hemorrhage
- strictures (narrowing)
- barrett esophagus/esophagus adenocarcinoma
- Normal esophageal epithelium is replaced by intestinal-like epithelium
- cells change shape and can become cancerous - Aspiration pneumonia
- reflux into lungs - Gingivitis, halitosis, tooth decay
Symptoms of dyspepsia (6)
- Primarily epigastric pain
- Epigastric fullness /early satiety
- Bloating
- Nausea or vomiting
- Excessive belching
- Acid regurgitation
Symptoms of GERD (5)
- Primarily acid regurgitation, “heartburn”
- Nausea
- Dysphagia - difficulty swallowing
- Odynophagia - painful swallowing
- Miscellaneous symptoms: cough, sore throat, chest
pain, hoarseness, SOB/wheezing
Red flags of dyspepsia and GERD
4+ others
- Abdominal mass / swelling
- History of abdominal cancer - Dysphagia, odynophagia, or choking
- Unintentional weight loss
- Symptom onset or worsening at >50 years of age
- What are some others…?
Chest pain that resembles cardiac symptoms -Radiating
GI bleeding - Coffee-ground vomitus or black, tarry stools
Anemia - Dizzy, pale, fatigued
Goals of Therapy (5)
when can it be self-treated?
- Reduce or eliminate symptoms
- Reduce or prevent recurrences
- Induce healing of damaged mucosa
- Prevent complications
- Provide patient education
- mild symptoms can be self-treated if less than 3 times a week
Non-pharm management
Dyspepsia (5)
what to avoid?
- lifestyle mod
- avoid precipitating foods (alcohol, caffeine)
- eat small freq meals - avoid lying down right after meals (less than 3 hours)
- reduce body weight
- quit smoking
- stress reduction
For GERD, avoid agents that impair esophageal motility and lower esophageal sphincter tone like anticholinergic agents, beta-adrenergic agonists, calcium channel blockers, theophylline and tricyclic antidepressants
Non-pharm management
GERD (3 + dyspepsia)
- Avoid foods or drugs that may worsen or precipitate symptoms
- Avoid tight-fitting clothing
- Elevate head of bead about 10cm (foam incline or blocks)
Pharm management
what do people with dyspeptic symptoms need to do?
major treatment options (5)
- Antacids
- Histamine receptor antagonists (H2RAs)
- Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs)
- Other (Alginic acid, Bismuth subsalicylate)
Functional dyspepsia: recurring signs and symptoms of indigestion with no obvious cause
- Test for H. pylori which causes worse dyspepsia
- H. pylori - get ulcers
- Step process, start with antacids, move to H2RAs, move to PPIs
MOA of antacids?
what are some avaialbe pdts?
what is most potent?
least potent?
- Weak bases that neutralize existing stomach acid
- Raise gastric pH to prevent activation of pepsin
- pepsin digests proteins, which contributes to acid
- Produced in the chief cells of the stomach lining as one of the main digestive enzymes
- Suggested that pepsin causes the most damage when the reflux extends beyond the upper esophagus and reaches the pharynx
Available as:
Calcium carbonate (most potent)
Sodium bicarbonate (med potent)
Magnesium (med potent)
Salts of aluminum (least potent)
Some products contain a combination of salts
I.e. Magnesium combination is to offset the tendency of the respective (aluminum or calcium) agents to cause constipation - combo salts often used
How long do antacids act?
- Antacids only maintain an increased stomach pH only while they are in the stomach so the duration of the effect is dependent on the gastric emptying time
- After meal, 1-3 hours duration
AE for calcium carbonate?
- Constipation, belching, flatulence
- Milk alkali syndrome/Hypercalcemia when too much:
- More than 2-2.5g of calcium
- Nausea, weakness, altered mental status - immediate referral
- Use in malnourished or alcoholics: hypophosphatemia , muscle weakness, breathing , heart failure
AE for sodium bicarbonate?
Caution for cardiac patients, high salt content
AE for magnesium?
- Cause diarrhea
- Avoided in renal failure
- Limited in elderly because of risk developing hypermagnesemia
(Nausea, vomiting, flushing, drowsiness, muscle weakness)
AE for aluminum salts?
Constipation
Efficacy of antacids? (3 points)
little evidence in functional dyspepsia
- 20% in GERD for 1.5 hours
Related to ANC – acid neutralizing capacity (RxTx)
Doses are based on the ability of a product to neutralize a molar amount of acid. This is dependent on formulation.
In practice, just follow manufacturer guidelines!
not found in Canadian monographs or labelling
Inconvenient due to dosing frequency
Generally after meals and at bedtime (4-5 times a day)
Suspensions are preferred because have smaller particle
size which increases ANC
Antacids drug interactions
- Altered GI pH can affect the absorption of some medications
- Medications can adsorb to antacids, resulting in insoluble complexes
Clinically important examples:
Iron (prevents absorption)
Quinolones (e.g., ciprofloxacin; prevents absorption )
Sulfonylureas (diabetes medications whose absorption may be enhanced, leading to side effects)
Common OTC – Antacids
Tums
- active ingredient
- dose
- SE
- calcium carbonate
- 500-1500mg daily in divided doses (pc, hs)
- Preferred agent in renal failure
SE: constipation, kidney stones, acid rebound,
belching, milk-alkali syndrome
- Acid rebound: calcium carbonate can stimulate gastrin release leading to more acid reflux
Common OTC – Antacids
Alka Seltzer, Eno
- active ingredient
- dose
- sodium bicarbonate
- sachets or effervescent tablets
- occasional use only
- high salt content, avoid used in HTN, pregnancy, dysfunction because they may result in excessive fluid retention and edema