Acute abdomen Flashcards
Acute abdo
What is appendicitis?
Inflammation of the appendix
What is the typical presentation of appendicitis?
Peri-umbilical pain that moves to the RIF (peritonitis)
Acute onset
5-40 yrs old
what is the aetiology of appendicitis?
Gut organisms invade the appendix after luminal obstruction
Leads to oedema, ischaemic necrosis, and perforation
What are the signs of appendicitis?
Epigastric pain (early) RIF pain (late) Peritonitis Rovsing's sign Cope's psoas sign Cope's obturator sign Rebound tenderness
What are the signs of peritonitis?
Keeps very still
Abdo pain upon movement
Rigid abdomen
Rebound tenderness- more pain on lifting up than pushing down
What is Rovsing’s sign?
Pain in RIF upon palpation of LIF
What is Cope’s psoas sign?
Pain upon extending the hip
seen only in retrocaecal appendices
What is Cope’s (obturator) sign?
Pain on passive flexion and internal rotation of the hip
What are the investigations for appendicitis?
Can be a clinical diagnosis
- USS – first line (especially transvaginal) if the differential includes gynaecological pathology
- CT- sensitive + specific, exclude other Ddx
- Bloods- leukocytosis, CRP
What is the scoring system for appendicitis?
ALVARADO SCORE for acute appendicitis
Looks at obs, pain and bloods
- discharge 1-4
- observe 5-6
- surgery 7-10
What is the management for appendicitis?
Appendectomy
Abx: Metronidazole and Cefotaxime
If appendiceal mass, antibiotic therapy is favoured, with an interval appendectomy 6-8 weeks later
What are the complications of appendicitis?
Perforation- more common with feacolith involvement (children)
Appendix mass- inflamed appendix becomes wrapped in omentum and forms a mass (wait to die down pre-surgery)
Appendix abscess- infected appendix walls off and forms an abscess
What is diverticular disease?
Diverticulosis associated with complications
What is diverticulosis?
Presence of diverticulae outpouchings of the colonic mucosa and submucosa throughout the large bowel
What is diverticulitis?
Acute inflammation and infection of a diverticulae
What is the classification of diverticular disease?
Hinchey classification Ia: phlegmon Ib/II: localised abscess III: perforation with purulent peritonitis IV: faecal peritonitis
What are the symptoms of diverticular disease?
Bloody stool LIF pain +/- bloating Fever N+V, anorexia Urinary symptoms- if there is a bladder fistula Peritonism- lying very still
What are the signs of diverticular disease?
LIF tenderness +/- bloating
Guarding, rigidity + rebound tenderness (peritonism)
Tachycardia, low grade pyrexia
What are the investigations for acute diverticulitis? What musn’t you do?
- CT abdomen
- erect CXR (?perforation- pneumoperitoneum)
- G+S/cross-match - if suspect surgery required
- bloods (FBC, CRP, clotting)
NEVER do barium enema in acute presentation- increased risk of perforation
What is are the 2 treatment options for an acute presentation of diverticular disease? (diverticulitis)
MILD = IV antibiotics + fluids + bowel rest
SEVERE (recurrent attacks/complications) = surgery
= Hartmann’s procedure
What is the treatment for a chronic presentation of diverticular disease?
(diverticulosis)
Soluble high-fibre diet
Anti-inflammatories eg. mesalazine
Surgery (if recurrent attack/complications)
-Primary anastamosis
What is Hartmann’s procedure?
Resection of the diseased bowel and an end-colostomy formation, with an anorectal stump.
When primary anastamoses are not possible ( inflammation)
What is a primary anastamosis? When is it contraindicated?
Resection of the diseased bowel and anastamoses of the two resected ends
To protect the anastomosis and allow it to heal, adefunctioning(loop) ileostomymay be used to divert bowel contents away from the primary anastomosis
contraindicated in acute infection/inflammation- oedema in bowel –> anastamoses will leak when inflammation subsides
What are the complications of diverticular disease?
Diverticulitis (high recurrence rate) Faecal peritonitis Fistulas Peri-colic abscess (faecolith) Colonic obstruction Perforation
What is the definition of a hernia?
a condition in which part of an organ is displaced and protrudes through the wall of the cavity containing it
What are the symptoms of a hernia?
Groin lump
Groin pain
Vomiting
Scrotal swelling
What is a strangulated hernia?
An ischaemic hernia due to a constriction around the vasculature
RF for hernias
male sex
old age
smoking
family history
increasing intra-abdominal pressure: obesity, chronic cough, heavy lifting, constipation
connective tissue disorders (Marfan, Ehlers-Danlos)
Which hernia is more often strangulated, hence requiring surgery?
Femoral hernias
What are the signs of a hernia?
Appears/swells on coughing
Reducible via supination/pressure
STRANGULATED HERNIA: tender, red, colicky, abdo pain, distension, vomiting
What are the borders of Hesselbach’s triangle?
LATERAL: Inferior epigastric vessels
INFERIOR: Inguinal ligament
MEDIAL: Lateral border of rectus abdominis
What are the differences between direct and indirect inguinal hernias?
Direct:
- medial to the IE vessels
- enters through Hesselbach’s triangle (weakness in abdominal wall)
Indirect:
- lateral to the IE vessels
- passes through the inguinal canal due to a failure of embryonic closure of the processus vaginalis
How can you clinically differentiate between a direct and indirect inguinal hernia?
- Reduce the hernia
- Place a finger over the deep inguinal ring (just above midpoint of inguinal ligament)
- Ask patient to cough and if the hernia re-appears, it cannot be an indirect hernia (must be direct)
What are the investigations for a hernia?
Mostly a clinical diagnosis
Can do USS
What is the management for a femoral hernia?
Surgical repair- mesh
femoral = emergency, inguinal = elective
What is the management for an inguinal hernia?
Reassurance
Elective surgery
What is pancreatitis?
Inflammation of the pancreas, can be both acute or chronic
What are the symptoms of acute pancreatitis? (give on differential)
Epigastric pain Radiating to the back Relieved on sitting forwards Pain worst on movement (DDx = AAA- except no hypovolaemic signs)
What are the causes of acute pancreatitis?
GET SMASHED
Gallstones- most common Ethanol- most common Trauma Steroids Mumps/Malignancy Autoimmune Scorpion venom Hyperlipidaemia/calcaemia/parathyroidism ERCP Drugs eg. thiazides
What are the signs of acute pancreatitis?
Epigastric tenderness
Fever
Shock
Tachycardia/tachypnoea
Reduced bowel sounds (peritonitis, ileus)
Cullen’s sign + grey-Turner’s sign (due to intra-abdominal bleeding from pancreatic inflammation)
What is Cullen’s sign?
Umbilical bruising
What is Grey-Turner’s sign?
Flank bruising (have to turn to see it)
What is Fox’s sign?
Bruising over the inguinal ligament
What are the investigations for acute pancreatitis?
Bloods- amylase, lipase, FBC, X-match
USS- aetiology- gallstones
Erect CXR/AXR- ?pleural effusion, perforations
CT- exclude other causes