2 - GI Patho Flashcards
What is achalasia?
lower esophageal sphincter fails to relax during swallowing
Food can’t get from the esophagus into the stomach
Caused by denervation of the myenteric plexus in the lower 2/3 of the esophagus
What is megaesophagus?
When achalasia is severe, the esophagus becomes distended and can hold up to one liter
food becomes putrid and infected while waiting to pass into the stomach
Loss of stomach secretions in individuals with chronic gastritis leads to ____ and ____
achlorhydria
pernicious anemia
What is achlorhydria
Stomach fails to secrete hydrochloric acid
A lack of acid also means pepsin is not secreted, and even if it is it isn’t activated into pepsinogen
How much Vitamin B12 is absorbed without intrinsic factor?
1/50th of the normal amount!
What is the usual cause of a peptic ulcer?
imbalance between rate of gastric secretion and degree of intestinal wall protection
What percentage of people with gastric ulcers have H. Pylori infections?
Why?
75%
bacteria burrows its way through the gastric barrier and releases ammonium that liquefies the barrier and stimulates secretion of hydrochloric acid
How long does an H. Pylori infection last?
A lifetime
Requires ABX treatment
What are three big modifiable factors that predispose people to peptic ulcers?
Smoking
Alcohol
Aspirin and NSAIDs
What are extreme measures that are used to stop ulcerative bleeding?
Removing portions of the stomach
Cutting the vagus nerves that supply PS stimulation to the gastric glands
What is the most common cause of pancreatitis?
What is the second?
Alcohol
Blockage of the papilla of Vater by a gallstone
What is Sprue?
Any disease that causes malabsorption in the SI mucosa
Compare tropical and non-tropical sprue
Tropical: caused by some sort of bacteria, but no one is sure which one
Non-tropical: celiac’s etc
What is steatorrhea?
Fatty stools
Sprue leads to fatty stools that are almost entirely composed of salts of fatty acids. What does this mean?
The problem isn’t in digesting fat. The bile salts are still doing their job, and the fats are still being broken down
they just aren’t being reabsorbed
that’s why sprue is a disease of malabsorption, not digestion
What is one cause of Hirschprung’s Disease?
lack of or deficiency of ganglion cells in the myenteric plexus in a segment of the sigmoid colon
How can patients with severed spinal cords control their bowel movements
Giving an enema at a specified time of day (in the morning) creates stimuli that will trigger the cord defecation reflex, and they can have a bowel movement
What is antiperistalsis?
Peristalsis up the GI tract (vomiting)
In the large intestine, what generates most of the gases?
Bacterial action
CO2
Methane
hydrogen
What is anorexia?
Lack of desire to eat despite physiologic stimuli that would normally produce hunger
What substances trigger vomiting in the CTZ?
Dopamine
Opioids
Ach
Substance P
serotonin
What is projectile vomiting?
Not preceded by nausea or retching
caused by direct stimulation of the vomiting center by neurologic lesions
OR
gastric outlet obstruction
What are the three main mechanisms of diarrhea?
osmotic
secretory
motility
Small volume diarrhea is usually caused by:
inflammatory disorder of the intestines (Crohn’s, UC, microscopic colitis)
Irritation and inflammation causes increased motility
What is motility diarrhea?
caused by resection of the SI,
surgical bypass,
fistula formation,
IBS,
diabetic neuropathy
laxative abuse
hyperthyroidism
Compare and contrast parietal and visceral pain
parietal pain arises from the peritoneum, visceral pain arises from the organs themselves
parietal is more localized and intense than visceral, which is diffuse and vague
parietal lateralizes and follows dermatomes, visceral may b e referred or nonspecific
parietal pain comes from A delta fibers, visceral comes from polymodal C fibers
Gallbladder pain sometimes is referred to the right shoulder. This is an example of ______ pain
visceral
What is a Mallory-Weiss tear?
tear at esophageal-gastric junction
caused by severe retching
What drugs put people at risk for GERD?
Ones that relax the lower esophageal sphincter:
anticholinergics
nitrates
calcium channel blocker
nicotine
What is eosinophilic esophagitis?
rare idiopathic inflammatory disease that causes infiltration of esinophils in the esophagus
manifestations look a little similar to GERD
What is a hiatal hernia?
protrusion of the upper stomach through the diaphragm into the thorax
Often asymptomatic except for GERD
Severe symptoms arise if strangulation occurs
Gastroparesis is most commonly associated with:
diabetes (form of neuropathy involving the vagal nerve and cells of cajal)
surgical vagotomy
fundoplication
What generally causes acquired pyloric obstruction?
PUD or nearby carcinoma
Why is prostaglandin inhibition such a problem for the stomach?
Prostaglandin usually stimulate the secretion of mucu and suppress inflammation
What is a curling ulcer?
What is a cushing ulcer?
From burns
From brain surgery/injury
What is dumping syndrome?
rapid emptying of hypertonic chyme from the fakey stomach into the SI 10-12 min after eating
Since the chyme is so extremely hypertonic, it pulls water into the lumen creating systemic dehydration
Causes rapid distention of the intestines, leading to pain and cramping, N/V
leads to diarrhea
What kinds of meals are ideal to prevent dumping syndrome?
frequent, small meals
high in protein
low in carbs