GI Flashcards
(157 cards)
Appendicitis
Inflammation of appendix
Appendicitis patho
Gut orgs invade appendix wall after lumen obstruction from:
- lymphoid hyperplasia
- faecolith
- filarial worms
Appendicitis Px
- Pain (umbilical -> RIF, McBurney’s point)
- Oedema
- Fever
- Tachycardia
- Anorexia
- N+V
- Constipation, maybe diarrhoea
- RIF tenderness, guarding
- Rovsing’s sign - pain greater in RIF than LIF when LIF pressed
- Psoas sign - pain on extending hip if retrocaecal appendix
- Cope sign - pain on flexion and internal rotation of hip (if appendix close to obturator internus)
Appendicitis DDx
Other causes of abdo pain - think systems (GI, urological, gynaecological…)
Appendicitis Ix
Bloods - raised WCC, CRP, ESR
USS
CT
Pregnancy test
Urinalysis (exclude UTI)
Appendicitis Mx
Laparoscopic appendectomy
IV ABs (metronidazole, cefuroxime)
Appendicitis Cx
Rupture -> peritonitis
Forms a mass
Abscess - after failure to resolve
Acute mesenteric ischaemia
Impaired blood flow gut (almost always SI)
AMI Causes
SMA thrombosis (commonest)
SMA embolism (eg AF)
Mesenteric vein thrombosis (hypercoagulable state)
Non-occlusive disease (low flow states, eg low CO)
AMI Px
- acute severe abdo pain
- no abdo signs
- rapid hypovolaemia (shock - pale skin, weak rapid pulse, reduced urine output, confusion)
AMI Ix
CT angiography - shows vessel blockage
Bloods (lactate), AXR
Laparotomy (cut into abdo wall)
AMI Mx
Resus - fluids, O2
ABs - IV gentamicin, metronidazole
IV heparin
Surgery to remove dead bowel
AMI Cx
Bacterial translocation across dying gut wall - septic peritonitis, SIRS
Chronic mesenteric ischaemia
chronic atherosclerotic disease of vessels supplying intestine
CMI cause
atherosclerosis - low flow of blood
CMI Px
- severe colicky post-prandial abdo pain (gut claudication)
- decreased wt
- upper abdo bruit (sounds), maybe PR (per rectum) bleeding
malabsorption, N+V, fear of eating, usually history of CVD
CMI Ix
CT angiography
CXR/AXR to exclude other stuff
CMI Mx
Stop smoking
Antiplatelet therapy
Surgery - angioplasty, stent
CMI Cx
malnutrition, reduced QoL from fear of eating
Ischaemic colitis
compromise of blood circulation supplying colon
IC patho
Causes - thrombosis, emboli, decreased CO, drugs (OCP), surgery, coagulation disorders
splenic flexure at risk - watershed between middle colic (SMA) and left colic (IMA)
IC Px
signs
shock
signs of CVD
symptoms
abdo pain, sudden onset, lower left side
bright red blood +/- diarrhoea
IC DDx
other causes of acute colitis, eg IBD
dysentry, diverticulitis
IC Ix
CT
Colonoscopy and biopsy
Barium enema maybe