Abdominal & GI Emergency Terminology Flashcards
visceral pain*
“organ pain”; “pain that originates in the internal organs”
- caused by stimulation of autonomic nerve fibers that surround an organ
somatic pain
produced by bacterial or chemical irritation of nerve fibers in the peritoneum
- usually constant and localized to a specific area
- sharp or stabbing pain
referred pain
pain in the part of the body considerably removed from the tissues tha tcause the pain
Grey’s Turner
bruising of the skin of the flanks or loin in retroperitoneal hemorrhage and acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis
flank
“the fleshy part of the side between the ribs and the hip”
loin
“the portion of the body below the rib cage and just above the pelvis”
retroperitoneal
“having to do with the area outside or behind the peritoneum”
Cullen’s Sign
the appearance of irregulary formed hemorrhagic patches on the skin around the umbilicus
umbilicus
“the official anatomical term for your navel or bellybutton”
upper GI bleed
above ligament of Treitz
Treitz
“band of tissue in the abdomen”
symptoms of upper GI bleeds
- hematemesis
- melena (probable)
- hematochezia (possible)
melena
“form of blood in stool, referring to the dark black, tarry feces”
- “commonly associated with upper GI bleeding”
hematemesis
“vomiting blood”
hematochezia
flesh blood in stools
lower GI bleeds
below ligament of Treitz
symptoms of lower GI bleed
- melena (possible)
- hematochezia (probable)
probable
“likely to be true or likely to happen”
causes of upper GI bleeds
- peptic ulcer disease (probable)
- gastritis, esophagitis
- variceal rupture (probable)
- Mallory-Weiss tear
- gastric or duodenal ulcers (probable)
peptic ulcer disease
“open sore or break in the lining of the stomach, duodenum, or lower esophagus”
gastritis
“medical condition that causes inflammation, redness, and swelling of the stomach lining”
esophagitis
“inflammation of the esophagus”
variceal rupture
“medical emergency that occurs when abnormally dilated veins (varices) in the GI tract rupture and bleed”
Mallory-Weiss tear
laceration of the esophagus caused by excessive “retching” and vomiting
- associated with bulimia
- tear does not extend through entire esophagus
duodenal
causes of lower GI bleed
- diverticulosis (probable)
- colon lesion
- rectal lesion
- anal fissures
- inflammatory bowel disorders (ex: ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease)
ulcerative colitis
“an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes inflammation and ulcers in your digestive tract”
Crohn’s disease
“chronic IBD that causes inflammation of the GI tract over a long period of time”
inflammatory bowel disorder
“chronic group of diseases that cause inflammation in the intestine”
fissure
“medical condition where the skin splits or tears apart”
diverticulosis
“condition where abnormal pouches (diverticula) form in the walls of the GI tract”
management of GI bleeds
- ABC’s
- left lateral recumbent/high semi-fowler’s position (protect airway)
- oxygenation via non-rebreather mask
- contact ALS for fluid replacement and antiemetic administration
antiemetic
“medications that treat or prevent nausea and vomiting”
semi-fowler’s position
“supine position where a patient lays on their back with the head of the bed raised 30-45 degrees”
bulimia
“eating disorder characterized by uncontrolled episodes of overeating”
irritable bowel
- abdominal pain
- cramping
- increased gas
- altered bowel habits
- food intolerance
- abdominal distention
abdominal distention
“measurable increase in the size of the abdomen often caused by a buildup of air or fluid”
bowel obstruction
blockage of bowel lumen
signs of bowel obstruction
- hernias
- intussusception
- volvulus
- adhesions
hernia
opening in wall
volvulus
knotting
intussusception
“serious condition that occurs when part of the intestine fold into the section next to it, similar to a telescope”
adhesion
“a band of scar tissue that causes two internal body surfaces to stick together when they normally aren’t conencted”
causes of bowel obstruction
- foreign bodies
- gallstones
- tumors
- adhesions form abdominal surgery
- bowel infarction
bowel infarction
“a life-threatening condition that occurs when the small intestine doesn’t receive enough blood flow”
gallstone
“hardened deposits of bile that can form in your gallbladder”
lumen
“a term that describes the cavity within the tubular structure”
appendicitis
inflammation of vemiform appendix
- occurs mostly in young adults
- rupture leads to peritoneal irritation (sepsis)
vemiform appendix
junction of large and small intestines
junction
” the place of union or coming together of two parts or tissue layers”
sepsis
“a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body’s immune system has an extreme response to an infection, damaging its own tissues and organs”
peritoneal
“the tissue that lines the abdominal wall and covers most of the organs in the environment”
location of appendicitis
appendicitis pain starts periumbilical (around the umbilicus) and radiates to the RLQ
what does RLQ stand for?
right lower quadrant
McBurney’s Point
1-2 inches between anterior iliac crest and umbilicus
choolecysitis
inflammation of the gallbladder
- cased by gallstones
symptoms of cholecystitis
- acute attack (RUQ pain)
- can occur after a “fatty” meal
- Murphy’s sign
Murphy’s Sign
right costal tenderness
Cholelithiasis
the actual formation of the gallstones
pancreatitis
inflammation of the pancreas
- can have decreased blood flow resulting in ischemia
- lesions can erode and hemorrhage
four main causes of pancreatitis
- metabolic (alcoholism)
- mechanical (gallstones)
- vascular (thromboembolus or shock)
- infectious (infectious disease)
navel
“a depression in the middle of the abdomen that marks the point of former attachment of the umbilical cord to the embryo”
cause of Hepatitis A
fecal/oral route (poor handwashing)
cause of Hepatitis B
bloodborne pathogens
cause of Hepatitis C
blood transfusions (needle sharing)
cause of Hepatitis D
dormant use activated by HBV
dormant
“in an inactive phase but not cured”
HBV
hepatitis B virus
cause of Hepatitis E
waterborne
cause of Hepatitis G
developed after transfusion
signs of hepatitis
- RUQ pin
- jaundice
- nausea/vomiting
- malaise
= photophobia - pharyngitis
- coughing
jaundice
“medical condition that causes yellow discoloration of the skin, whites of the eyes, and mucous membranes”
malaise
“a general feeling of discomfort weakness, or lack of health”
photophobia
“medical condition that causes eyes to be more sensitive to light than normal”
pharyngitis
“symptoms of inflammation in the pharynx”
