Common Manifestations of Digestive System Disorders

Question 1

______________ is the forceful expulsion of chyme from the stomach or intestine

Answer 1

–Vomiting or emesis

Question 2

___________ are common indicators of gastrointestinal disorders

Answer 2

–Nausea and vomiting

Question 3

_____________________ often precedes nausea and vomiting

Answer 3

–Anorexia (loss of appetite)

Question 4

Yellow- or greenish-stained vomitus usually contains ______________________

Answer 4

bile from the duodenum

Question 5

•Recurrent vomiting of undigested food from previous meals indicates a problem with ___________________________

Answer 5

gastric emptying, such as pyloric obstruction

Question 6

Vomitus - deeper brown color may indicate _____________________

Answer 6

content from the lower intestine

Question 7

–Severe or prolonged diarrhea may lead to

Answer 7

dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, acidosis, and malnutrition

Question 8

•Large volume diarrhea leads to a watery stool resulting from increased secretions into the intestines. This type of diarrhea is related to:

Answer 8

• Infections
• Short transit time –
• An increase in osmotic pressure (ex. In lactose intolerance, lactose remains undigested and unabsorbed inside the intestine, thereby increasing the osmotic pressure of the contents)

Question 9

Small volume diarrhea often occur with people with _______________________

Answer 9

inflammatory bowel disease

Question 10

Steatorrhea is “fatty diarrhea” marked by frequent bulky, greasy, loose stools often with a foul odor. These stools are characteristic of____________________

Answer 10

malabsorption syndromes

Question 11

red blood in the stool

Answer 11

Usually from the rectum or anal canal

Question 12

Occult blood

Answer 12

Occult blood refers to hidden amounts of blood that are not visible to the eye but are detectable on stool exams. May occur from small bleeding ulcers in the stomach or small intestines

Question 13

Melena

Answer 13

a dark-colored tarry stool that results from significant bleeding that has occurred higher in the digestive tract

Question 14

Causes of constipation include:

Answer 14

• Increased age and weakness of the smooth muscle in the intestines
• Inadequate dietary fiber (leading to less bulk in the intestine and decreased peristalsis)
• Inadequate fluid intake
• Failure to respond to the defecation reflex because of pain or inconvenient timing
• Neurologic disorders, drugs, obstruction caused by tumors

Question 15

–Chronic constipation may lead to the development of _______________________

Answer 15

hemorrhoids or diverticulitis

Question 16

Severe constipation may lead to ______________________

Answer 16

fecal impaction and intestinal obstruction

Question 17

–Electrolytes such as sodium are lost in both vomiting and diarrhea because both______________________ contain large amounts of electrolytes.

Answer 17

mucus and enzyme secretions

Question 18

Gastric secretions are high in _________ and diarrhea leads to losses of ______________ ions

Answer 18

chloride;

potassium

Question 19

____________ imbalances are common in vomiting and diarrhea

Answer 19

Acid-base

Question 20

Initially, vomiting leads to loss of HCl resulting in _______________

Answer 20

metabolic alkalosis

Question 21

Somatic pain is characterized by:

Answer 21

Somatic pain is characterized by a steady, intense, often well-localized pain which indicates involvement of the parietal peritoneum

Question 22

Visceral pain

Answer 22

Visceral pain fibers are connected to the ANS, therefore autonomic responses, such as pallor and sweating or nausea and vomiting frequently accompany this pain. This pain arise from the viscera of the digestive organs and are difficult to localize

Question 23

Referred pain

Answer 23

Referred pain results when visceral and somatic nerves converge in one spinal cord level, and the source of the visceral pain is then perceived as the same as the somatic nerve