Abdominal Emergencies Flashcards
What are causes of abdomen pain?
Mechanical - distension, pulling and tearing.
Inflammatory - swelling
Ischemic - obstruction of blood flow
What are types of ABD pain?
Parietal - intense, localized pain
Visceral - dull, diffuse, cramping
What are some bleeds in GI tract?
Upper/Lower GI bleeds
Esophageal varices
Peptic ulcers
What are some inflammatory disorders?
Gastritis, gastroenteritis, IBD, diverticulitis and peritonitis.
What are types of accessory organ disorders?
Cholecystitis
Pancreatitis
Biliary colic
Appendicitis
Hepatitis
What symptoms are shown for an upper bleed?
Coffee ground emesis
Hematemesis
Bright red emesis
What are some examples of upper bleeds?
Peptic ulcer
Esophageal varies
Melina
Mallory Weiss tear
What are symptoms of lower bleed?
Bright red blood
What are examples of lower bleeds?
Ulcers
Hemorrhoids
Trauma
What are peptic ulcers?
Ulcers in stomach
Causes are helicobacter pylori
Increased gastric secretions
Decreased mucosal secretions
What causes Esophageal varices?
Trauma - high speed tears
Ulcers - caustic ingestion
Persistent/ violent vomiting
Varices - caused by liver cirrhosis which increases hepaportal pressure
What causes gastritis?
Inflammation of stomach lining caused by alcohol, foods, drugs, ulcers, infections and bulimia/anorexia.
What causes diverticulitis?
Outpouching with infection/inflammation.
What causes gastroenteritis?
Inflammation of the mucosal lining of the GI tract.
What causes IBD?
Ulcerative colitis and crohns disease
Caused by genetic and environmental factors.
What is ulcerative colitis?
Inflammation is limited to inner lining of colon.
Periods of remittance and exacerbation
What is crohns disease?
Inflammation of the Inner lining through the entire thickness of the bowel wall
Creates skipped lesions
What is peritonitis?
Inflammation of the peritoneum.
True abdominal rigidity
True inability to lay flat
Intense pain
What is appendicitis?
Inflammation of the appendix
Pain localized to McBurney’s point, starts at umbilicus.
What is cholecystitis?
Inflammation of the gallbladder.
Caused by obstruction by a gallstone usually at the cystic duct.
RUQ pain shoots to Shoulder
Worse with fatty foods
What is biliary colic?
Gallstones
2 major types are cholesterol gallstones and pigment gallstones
How are pigment gallstones formed?
Formed in same way as cholesterol gallstones except more RBC are involved due to cirrhosis of liver.
What are signs and symptoms for biliary colic?
Colicky RUQ pain
Shoulder pain
Worse with fatty foods
What is pancreatitis?
Inflammation of the pancreas, caused by an obstruction or alcohol.
What are signs and symptoms for pancreatitis?
Severe upper abdominal pain
Radiating to back
Not eating
N/V
Fever
What are the functions of the liver?
Maintained of blood glucose level
Lipid metabolism
Protein metabolism
Detoxify of drugs and hormones
Excretion of bilirubin
Bile production
Phagocystosis
What are the major functions of the kidney?
Regualtion of blood volume and composition
Regulation of blood pH
Regulation of hemocrit
What are the renal failure stages?
Early stage
60% function of normal
Renal insufficiency - 2nd stage
Renal function 25% of normal
End stage Renal failure
Renal function less than 10%
Renal failure
What are the common causes of chronic Renal failure?
Hypertension and diabetes mellitus
What is uremia?
Uremia is the buildup of nitrogenous waste that is normally excreted by the kidneys
What are stages of acute renal failure?
Prerenal - sudden and severe drop in blood pressure
Intrarenal - direct damage to the kidneys by inflammation
Postrenal - sudden obstruction of urine flow due to enlarged prostate.
What are UTI’s?
Introduction and colonization of bacteria inside of the urethra.
What is renal colic?
Known as kidney stones.
Metabolic disorder
Build up urea crystals in kidneys
Spasms of ureter as stones pass
What are symptoms of renal colic?
Extreme colicky pain
Lower abdomen pain or back pain
Dysuria
What is PID?
Infection of a woman’s reproductive organs.
Infection spreads from cervix to the uterus, fallopian tube, ovaries and surrounding structures.
Most common cause is gonorrhea and chlamydia
Symptoms of AAA?
Unexplained hypotension
Unexplained syncope
Tearing or ripping pain in ABD or back.
What is an ostomy?
For patients with gastric resections
It is an opening through the skin of the abdomen into the intestine, where stool is formed.
How many times to empty the pouch of an ileostomy?
4-6 times a day
How many times a day to empty an colostomy pouch?
Once a day
