GI & GU SYSTEMS Flashcards
(144 cards)
GI DISEASE - DEFINITION
- Gastrointestinal diseases affect the GI tract from the mouth to the anus
- There are 2 types: functional and structural
GI DISEASE - SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
- Bloating
- Excess gas
- Constipation
- Diarrhoea
- Heart burn
- Nausea and vomiting
- Abdominal px
- Incontinence
- Weight loss
- Blood in stool
- Px
- Difficulty swallowing
- Changes in appetite
ABDOMINAL PAIN - SITE - DEFINITION
Abdominal px is px that is felt anywhere between the chest and groin
ABDOMINAL PAIN - SITE - GENERALISED
o Appendicitis
o Crohn’s disease
o Traumatic injury
o IBS
o UTI
o Flu
ABDOMINAL PAIN - SITE - LOWER ABDOMEN
o Appendicitis
o Intestinal obstruction
ABDOMINAL PAIN - SITE - LOWER ABDOMEN (FEMALES)
o Ectopic pregnancy
o Dysmenorrhea (severe menstrual px)
o Ovarian cysts
o Miscarriage
o Fibroids
o Endometriosis
o Pelvic inflammatory disease
ABDOMINAL PAIN - SITE - UPPER ABDOMEN
o Gallstones
o Heart attack
o Hepatitis
o Pneumonia
ABDOMINAL PAIN - SITE - CENTRAL ABDOMEN
o Appendicitis
o Gastroenteritis
o Injury
o Uraemia (build-up of waste products in the blood)
ABDOMINAL PAIN - SITE - LOWER LEFT ABDOMEN
o Crohn’s disease
o Cancer
o Kidney infection
o Ovarian cysts
o Appendicitis
ABDOMINAL PAIN - SITE - UPPER LEFT ABDOMEN
o Enlarged spleen
o Faecal impaction (hardened stool that can’t be eliminated)
o Injury
o Kidney infection
o Heart attack
o Cancer
ABDOMINAL PAIN - SITE - LOWER RIGHT ABDOMEN
o Appendicitis
o Hernia
o Kidney infection
o Cancer
o Flu
ABDOMINAL PAIN - SITE - UPPER RIGHT ABDOMEN
o Hepatitis
o Injury
o Pneumonia
o Appendicitis
ABDOMINAL PAIN - NATURE - TYPES
- Mild or severe
- Dull or sharp
- Burning or achy
- Crampy or colicky
- Constant or intermittent
- Localised (in one spot) or generalised (all over)
ABDOMINAL PAIN - NATURE - GENERALISED PAIN
- Means that the pt feels it in more than half of their abdomen
- This type of px is typical for
o Stomach virus
o Indigestion
o Gas - If the px becomes more severe it can be caused by a blockage of the intestines
ABDOMINAL PAIN - NATURE - LOCALISED PAIN
- Px found in only one area of your belly
- More likely to be a sign of a problem in an organ
ABDOMINAL PAIN - NATURE - CRAMPY PAIN
- Most of the time not serious
- Likely due to gas and bloating and is often followed by diarrhoea
- More worrisome signs include px that
o Occurs more often
o Lasts longer than 24 hours
o Occurs with a fever
ABDOMINAL PAIN - NATURE - COLICKY PAIN
- Px that comes in waves
- Often starts and ends suddenly
- Often severe
- Kidney stones and gallstones are common causes of this type of px
ABDOMINAL PAIN - SPEED OF ONSET - SUDDEN
- Occurs within a second
- Pt will relate the time of onset at a precise moment, usually stating exactly what activity was going on at the time the px began
- Commonly associated with
o Perforation of the gastrointestinal tract from a gastric or duodenal ulcer
o A colonic diverticulum
o Foreign body
o Ruptured eptopic pregnancy
o Mesenteric infraction
o Ruptured aortic aneurysm
o Embolism of an abdominal vessel
ABDOMINAL PAIN - SPEED OF ONSET - RAPID
- Begins with a few seconds and increases in severity over the next several minutes
- Pt will recall the time of onset in general but without the precision noted in px of sudden onset
- Associated with
o Cholecystitis
o Pancreitis
o Intestinal obstruction
o Diverticulitis
o Appendicitis
o Ureteral stone
o Penetrating gastric or duodenal ulcer
ABDOMINAL PAIN - SPEED OF ONSET - GRADUAL
- Px that comes on slowly and becomes more severe after a number of hours or even days have elapsed
- Pt memory as to the time of onset of the px is vague; they can only pinpoint the day or maybe the week of onset
- Generally associated with
o Neoplasms
o Chronic inflammatory processes
o Large bowel obstructions
ABDOMINAL PAIN - PROGRESSION
- Its of real diagnostic significance to determine the progression of the px over the interval of the time of onset until the pt seeks medical attention
o Has the px abated or increases?
o Have there been intervals of total absence of the px or has the px always been present, changing only in character?
ABDOMINAL PAIN - ASSOCIATED FEATURES
- Symptoms that accompany abdominal px are important in making an accurate diagnosis
- Some of the most important symptoms are
o Nausea
o Vomiting
o Abdominal distention
o Diarrhoea
o Constipation
o Obstipation
o Tarry stools
o Chills
o Fever
o Urinating frequently
o Haematuria
o Jaundice
GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE (GORD) - DEFINITION
- Occurs when the acid from the stomach leaks up into the oesophagus
- Usually occurs as a result of the ring of muscle at the bottom of the oesophagus becoming weakened
GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE (GORD) - CAUSE
- Caused by frequent acid reflux or reflux of nonacidic content of the stomach
- When you swallow, a circular band of muscle around the bottom of the oesophagus relaxes to allow food and liquid to flow into the stomach, the sphincter then closes again
- If the sphincter does not relax as it should or it weakens, stomach acid can flow back into the oesophagus
- This constant backwash of acid irritates the lining of the oesophagus, often causing it to become inflamed