Gastroenterology Flashcards
(301 cards)
Cause of vomiting
motion sickness, ingestion of emetogenic substances, GI obstruction, abdominal inflammation/irritation and extra-gastrointestinal tract disease that may stimulate medullary vomiting centre region, CNS, behaviour
definition of vomiting
active, forceful process of ejection of gastric/intestinal content with prodromal signs
signs of vomiting
vomiting
dehydration
abnormal behaviour
diagnosis for vomiting
History (acute onset of vomiting in unvaccinated puppy could be infectious),
signalment, CBC, biochemistry, pH would be less than 5 (showing gastric acid),
gastroduodenoscopy and biopsy (colonoileoscopy in cats),
faecal exam (parasites),
x-ray and ultrasonography,
cats (FeLV, FIV, hyperthyroidism)
treatment for vomiting
Fasting, fluids, antiemetic agent, antiemetic agents, anti-secretory agents, prokinetics
- if animal is stable with vomiting, then symptomatic treatment for 1st 1-2 days
cause of diarrhoea
Acute
- caused by diet, parasites or infectious diseases
Chronic
- small intestinal: maldigestion (EPI), nonprotein-losing malabsorptive and protein-losing enteropathy
pathogenesis of diarrhoea
Osmotic diarrhoea
- unusually large amounts of poorly absorbable osmotically active solutes in the intestinal lumen
- occurs with malabsorptive disorders where nutrients are maldigested or mal-absorbed, remain within the intestinal lumen and osmotically attract water. EPI is example
Secretory diarrhoea
- abnormal ion transport in intestinal epithelial cells.
Increased mucosal permeability
- causes loss of fluids, electrolytes, proteins and RBC into intestinal lumen
- erosive or ulcerative enteropathies, IBD or neoplastic disorders
Deranged motility
- abnormal ileal and colonic motility patterns may contribute to clinical symptomatology of IBD
- suppression of contractions and stimulation of giant migrating contractions
definition of diarrhoea
increase in frequency, fluidity or volume of faeces
signs of diarrhoea
weight loss, polyphagia, frequency of bowel movements, volume of faeces, blood in faeces, mucus in faeces, tenesmus, maybe vomiting
diagnosis of diarrhoea
signalment, history, FIV, FeLV, faecal panel, radiography, Ultrasound
CBC
- eosinophilia ? secondary to endoparasitism, eosinophilic enteritis, mast cell neoplasia
- anaemia ? from enteric blood loss
- neutrophilia ? stress, inflammation or infection
- lymphopenia is relatively common finding in dogs with intestinal lymphangiectasia
Serum chemistry
- BUN can be increased from dehydration or gastrointestinal bleeding
- panhypoproteinemia, hypocholesterolaemia – protein losing enteropathy
Specialised gastrointestinal function tests
- serum trypsin-like immunoreactivity – exocrine pancreatic insufficiency
- serum cobalamin and folate: measurement of serum Vit B12 and folate concentrations – absorptive function of ileum and jejunum, decreased in IBD or lymphoma
Chronic
- Parasite test (giardia, tritrichomonas – ELISA, snap test but IFA is gold standard)
- failure to lose weight/body condition despite chronic diarrhoea indicates large bowel disease
- weight loss usually indicates small bowel disease
treatment for diarrhoea
: dietary therapy (highly digestible, moderately fat-restricted food), antimicrobials (metronidazole 10-15mg/kg q12h), oral protectants (activated charcoal), fluids, motility modifier (iopermaide 0.1-0.2mg/kg q8-12dog, q12 cat), probiotics,
- chronic diarrhoea: oral corticosteroids (for IBD)
differentials for diarrhoea
Dietary, inflammatory, infectious, pancreatitis, obstruction, neoplasia, drugs + toxins
when is diarrhoea acute/chronic
acute if lasts for less than 14 days, chronic if longer than 14 days
cause of dysphagia
results from oral pain, masses, foreign objects, trauma, neuromuscular dysfunction or combination
what is dysphagia
difficulty swallowing
signs of dysphagia
difficulty of prehension of water and food, drooling, nasal discharge
- repeated, often unproductive attempts to swallow with extension oof the head and neck during swallowing, often accompanied by gagging, retching, odynophagia and ptyalism
diagnosis of dysphagia
complete examination of pharynx, X-rays (positive contrast)
how do you differentiate between dysphagia and regurgitation
localisation of disease
- oesophageal dysphagic and salivation must be differentiated from oropharyngeal dysphagia and salivary gland diseases (sialadenitis or Sialoadenosis)
what is regurgitation
Expulsion of material from the mouth, pharynx or oesophagus whereas vomiting is expulsion from the stomach and/or intestines
cause of regurgitation
obstruction and muscular weakness
pathogenesis of regurgitation
passive process that occurs without prodromal signs
signs of regurgitation
expelling material from mouth, pharynx or oesophagus
diagnosis of regurgitation
watch the animal eating, fluoroscopic evaluation of swallowing barium to differentiate pharyngeal from cricopharyngeal dysfunction
- plain radiograph and later barium contrast
treatment of regurgitation
depending on cause: foreign body (surgery), weakness (supportive therapy)