Abdomen Flashcards
What is the area of the abdomen called right below the xiphoid process?
Epigastric
What is the area of the abdomen called right below the epigastric region?
Umbilical
Whas is the area of the abdomen called right below the umbilical region?
Hypogastric or Suprapubic
Posteriorly, which ribs indicate where the kidneys are?
11th and 12th ribs
What is dyspepsia?
chronic or recurrent upper abdominal pain or discomfort in upper abdomen. Includes bloating, nausea, upper abdominal fullness and heartburn.
What is heartburn? When is it considered GERD?
Rising retrosternal pain occurring weekly or even more often. Aggravated by foods or positions/exercising. If accompanied by abdominal pain and occurring more than once per week it is considered GERD.
Other than abdominal pain and heartburn, what are some other symptoms of GERD?
GERD can also be present with respiratory symptoms such as cough and sore throat (pharyngitis).
What is retching?
involuntary spasm of stomach without vomitus
What is regurgitation?
Raising up of gastric contents without vomiting or retching, brine like taste
What is hematemesis?
vomiting up blood, brown or black contents in vomit, “coffee ground”
What is early satiety?
early fullness without eating a full meal
What is dysphagia?
“food doesn’t pass down right”, food that “sticks” or hesitates in passage.
What is odynophagia?
pain with swallowing
Clinically, what is diarrhea? What is chronic and acute diarrhea?
Diarrhea- increased water content of stool > 200g in 24 hours. Acute lasts < 2 weeks. Chronic is > 4 weeks.
What is tenesmus?
It’s the constant urge to poop!
What is steatorrhea?
Oily, fatty stools
Clinically, what is constipation?
constipation should be present for 12 weeks, < 3 stools per week
What is obstipation?
no passage of feces or gas
What is melena?
black, tarry stools
What is hematochezia?
red/maroon colored stools
What is intrahepatic jaundice?
from damage to liver cells themselves
When would you see extra hepatic jaundice?
from an obstruction of the bile duct
What is dysuria?
painful urination
What is incontinence?
involuntary loss of urine, can be caused by stress, urge, overflow
What is urinary hesitancy?
the straining to void or decrease in stream with voiding
What is polyuria?
voiding > 3 L of urine in a 24 hour period
What is nocturia? What is hematuria?
nocturia- increased voiding at night, hematuria-blood in urine
What is gross hematuria? Microscopic hematuria?
gross- blood in urine visible to the naked eye, microscopic-small amounts of blood in urine
What are alarm symptoms?
These are symptoms in which patients present which always require follow up and a work up. dysphagia, odynophagia, recurrent vomiting, GI bleeding, weight loss (unintentional), anemia, jaundice, and palpable mass.
What is visceral pain?
when hollow organs (stomach, colon) forcefully contract or become distended. Solid organs (liver, spleen) can also generate this type of pain when they swell against their capsules. Visceral pain is usually gnawing, cramping, or aching and is often difficult to localize (hepatitis). Ischemia causes stimulation of of visceral pain fibers.
What is parietal pain?
when there is inflammation from the hollow or solid organs that affect the parietal peritoneum. Parietal pain is more severe and is usually easily localized (appendicitis). This pain is most severe than visceral. It is aggravated by movement, laughing, or coughing. Patients with this type of pain prefer to lie still.
What is referred pain?
originates at different sites but shares innervation from the same spinal level (gallbladder pain in the shoulder). Pain may also be referred TO abdomen from the chest, spine or pelvis which complicates the assessment of abdominal pain.
How do you differentiate kidney pain from ureteral pain?
Kidney pain is a visceral pain and is produced by distention of the renal capsule, it is dull, achy and steady. Kidney pain is higher in the abdomen than ureteral pain. Ureteral pain is sharp, colicky, severe and radiates down to lower abdomen.
What could epigastric pain indicate?
stomach, duodenum, pancreas
What could RUQ pain/epigastric pain indicate?
biliary tree and liver
What could periumbilical pain indicate?
small intestine, appendix, proximal colon problems
What could suprapubic or sacral pain indicate?
rectum problems
What could hypogastric pain indicate?
colon, bladder, uterus, colonic pain may be more diffuse than illustrated
What could white or gray stools indicate?
liver or gall bladder disease
Difficulty starting to urinate happens more in women or men?
Men
Incontinence happens more in women or men?
Women
If someone has back pain at the costovertebral angle, this could indicate problems with..?
the kidneys
In men, lower back pain could indicate problems with…?
referred pain from the prostate
When pts come in for an abdominal complaint, have risk factors for theyl should be screened for are…
alcohol abuse, hepatitis (A, B and C), and colon cancer
Do an alcohol abuse screening if the patient has what?
a hx of hepatitis, pancreatitis, alochol abuse, alcohol overindulgence, ascites, hepatosplenomegaly, or a suspicion for an alcohol problem. Use your CAGE questions.
What are the CAGE questions?
Have you ever felt like you needed to cut down on your drinking? Have you ever felt annoyed at others who have been concerned about your drinking? Have you ever felt guilty about your drinking? Have you ever had a drink in the morning (eye opener)?
What are the standard drink equivalents for beer, wine and liquor?
12 oz for beer or wine cooler, 8 oz. of malt liquor, 5 oz of wine, 1.5 oz of 80 proof spirits
What is the initial screening question for alcohol intake?
How many times in the past year have you have you had 4 or more drinks a day (women), or 5 or more drinks a day (men)?
What is considered moderate, maximum or binge drinking for women?
Moderate- < or equal to 1 per day, Maximum- < or equal to 3 drinks per day, Binge- > or equal to 4 drinks per day
What is considered moderate, maximum or binge drinking for men?
Moderate- < or equal to 2 drinks per day, Maximum- < or equal to 4 drinks per day (if < or equal to 14 drinks in a week), < or equal to 3 drinks per day (if >65 y/o, and < or equal to 7 drinks in a week), Binge- > or equal to 5 drinks per day.
How do you get hep A?
fecal oral transmission- undercooked food or if they have traveled recently
Is there a vaccine for hep A?
Yes
In hep A, how does the virus leave the body?
virus leaves through feces, hand washing is very important
How do you get hep B?
blood transmission
Is there a vaccine for hep B?
Yes, vaccine is recommended especially for high risk populations
How do you get hep C?
blood transmission
Is there a vaccine for hep C?
No, it is the most common blood borne pathogen in the United States
Who are the in the high risk populations for hep B?
men having sex with men, people with multiple partners (more than one partner in the past 6 months), people with STDs, people who have been exposed to blood (mucosal or percutaneous exposure), (IV drug users, dialysis patients, residents and staff for the developmentally disabled), Travelers to endemic areas, people with chronic liver disease/HIV infected, correctional facilities, drug abuse programs
What are the common high risk conditions for colorectal cancer?
25% of colorectal cancers- personal hx of colorectal cancer, first degree relative w/ colorectal cancer or adenomatous polyps, personal hx of breast, ovarian, or endometrial cancer, personal hx of ulcerative or crohn’s colitis
When do you start screening for colorectal cancer?
20 years old, if high risk, refer for more complex management. If average risk at age 50 (high risk conditioned absent),offer more screening options
What are the hereditary high risk conditions for colorectal cancer?
6% of colorectal cancers-familial adenomatous polyps, hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer
What are the screening recommendations for adults 50-75 years old for colorectal cancer?
High sensitivity fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) annually, sigmoidoscopy every 5 years with FOBT every 3 years, screening colonoscopy every 10 years
What are the screening recommendations for adults 76-85 years old for colorectal cancer?
Do not screen routinely, as gain in life years is small compared to colonoscopy risks, and screening benefits not seen for 7 years; use individual decision making if screening for the first time
What are the screening recommendations for adults 85+ years old for colorectal cancer?
Do not screen, as “competing causes for mortality preclude a mortality benefit that outweighs harms”
You always auscultate before percussing or palpating the abdomen, T or F?
True!
What is borborygmi?
Bowel Sounds- long gurgles
What is the normal frequency of borborygmi?
5-34 sounds per minute
On the abdomen, where do you listen for bruits?
aorta, iliac, renal and femoral arteries
Why do you auscultate the liver and spleen?
checking for friction rub
Where do you percuss the abdomen? What is tympany? What is dullness?
Percuss in all 4 quadrants, percuss over the midclavicular line and the midsternal line. Tympany is heard in hollow areas and dullness is heard when there is a mass or large stool
How much should midclavicular percussion be for the liver?
6-12 cm, larger than this indicates an enlarged liver