Common Disorders of Large Intestine

Question 1

What is inflammatory bowel disease?

Answer 1

Umbrella term (includes Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis), chronic, more prevalent in young adults (occur at any age)
s/s: similar to Crohns and UC

Question 2

What is Crohn’s disease and it’s s/s?

Answer 2

Chronic, transmural (affects the full thickness of intestial wall), any part of the GI TRACT (mouth-anus), skip lesions (areas of disease separated by healthy areas), cobblestoning (granulomas in intestine fom inflammation), toxic megacolon (extreme dialation of diseased colon form inflammation = rupture and peritonitis and can be life-threatening)
s/s: remissions (asymptomatic), exacerbations (symptomatic and worsen), arthritis, dermatology (skin) issues, chronic inflammation = stricture (narrowing of body passage)
Complication: obstruction, episodes of diarrhea

Question 3

What is ulcerative colitis?

Answer 3

mucosal layer of large intestine
Pseudopolyps: inflammatory areas of protruding growths in large intestine

Question 4

What is large bowl obstruction?

Answer 4

obstruction of the large intestine
partial: high pitched bowel sounds
complete: no bowel sounds, no feces in rectum

Question 5

What is appendicitis?

Answer 5

inflammation of the appendix may rupture (peritonitis)
s/s: RLQ = Mc Burney’s point (referred pain/could occur)
psoas sign, obturator sign

Question 6

What is irritable bowel syndrome?

Answer 6

abdominal and altered bowel activity (movement of contents)
s/s: alarm symptoms, iron deficiency

Question 7

What is diverticula disease?

Answer 7

Diverticula: small outpouching (ballooned/think aneurysm), sigmoid
Diverticulosis: bowel wall has weak areas
Diverticulitis: inflammation of diverticula (infected)