Exam 3 Flashcards
GI, GU
Pancreatic ca s/s
Painless jaundice, anorexia, weight loss, glucose intolerance, depression
Appendicitis s/s, positive sign names
- Poorly localized, visceral periumbilical pain due to distention of inflamed appendix which migrates to RLQ as parietal pain due to inflammation of adjacent parietal peritoneum.
- Rovsing sign, + Psoas sign, + Obturator sign, and/or tenderness at McBurney point
- if pain subsides = perforation
- [Note: visceral pain is gnawing, burning, cramping or aching. When severe it causes sweating, pallor, n/v, restlessness]

**Parietal pain
aka somatic pain
- originates from inflammation of parietal peritoneum called peritonitis
- steady, aching, more severe than visceral pain, more precisely localized over involved structure
- usually aggravated by movement or coughing
- patients prefer to lie still
ex: peritonitis s/s pain with absent bowel sounds, rigidity, percussion tenderness and guarding
Referred pain
Pain felt distant to origin due to related innervation of same spinal levels as disordered structures
palpation at site of referred pain does NOT result in tenderness
Ex: duodenal or pancreatic origin pain referred to back. Pain from biliary tree referred to right scapular region or right posterior thorax
Pain from pleurisy or inferior wall myocardial infarction referred to epigastric region
Renal stone s/s
Colicky pain causing doubling over, frequent movement to find comfortable position, cramping pain radiating to the right or LLQ or groin

acute pancreatitis s/s
epigastric tenderness often radiating to the back,
acute onset, persistent pain which may be aggravated by lying supine,
sx: n/v, abdominal distention, fever, recurrent with alcohol abuse or gallstones, some relief with leaning forward with trunk flexed

GERD s/s
Heartburn and regurgitation more than once per week makes accuracy of diagnosis over 90% atypical symptoms:
- chest pain, cough, wheezing and aspiration PNA, hoarseness, chronic sore throat and laryngitis
- risk factors: reduced salivary flow, obesity, delayed gastric emptying; selected medications and hiatal hernia*
timing: after meals, esp after spicy foods
Alarm GI symptoms
Dysphagia, odynophagia, recurrent vomiting, evidence of GI bleeding, early satiety, weight loss, anemia, risk factors for gastric CA, palpable mass, painless jaundice warrant endoscopy to evaluate for esophagitis, peptic strictures, Barrett esophagus or esophageal CA
**Small or large bowel obstruction s/s
Diffuse abdominal pain, abdominal distention, hyperactive high-pitched bowel sounds, tenderness on palpation
Colon CA s/s
Change in bowel habits with mass lesion
Mesenteric ischemia s/s
Food fear, vomiting, bloody stool, signs of shock, abdominal pain, slightly distended/ soft/nontender abdomen, pain disproportionate to physical findings may have underlying cardiac disease, age > 50
**Ulcerative colitis What and s/s
Mucosal inflammation typically extending proximally from rectum to varying lengths of colon s/s: frequent watery stools, often containing blood, abrupt onset, night awakening, cramping pain, fever, fatigue, weakness, linked to Ashkenazi Jewish descendants and to altered CD4 T-cell Th2 response, increased risk of colon CA
**Crohn disease of small bowel What and s/s
Chronic transmural inflammation of bowel wall with skip pattern involving the terminal ileum and proximal wall, may cause strictures
s/s: pain happens insidiously, chronic and recurrent, crampy periumblical, RLQ or diffuse pain with anorexia, fever, and/or weight loss, perianal or perirectal abscesses and fistulas, may cause small or large bowel obstruction.
Often in teens or young adults, more common in Ashkenazi Jewish descendants, linked to altered CD4+ T-cell helper Th1 and 17 response
Acute vs. chronic diarrhea
Painless loose or watery stools during >=75% of defecations in prior 3 months, with symptom onset at least 6 months prior to diagnosis. acute: less than 2 weeks chronic: more than 4 weeks, usually due to Crohn’s or UC
Constipation criteria and s/s
Present in past 3 months with symptom onset at least 6 months prior to diagnosis and meet at least 2 of the following:
- fewer than 3 bms/week
- 25% or more defecations with either straining or sensation of incomplete evacuation;
- lumpy or hard stools;
- or manual facilitation.
Colorectal CA risk factors and prevention
- Increasing age, personal hx of colorectal CA, adenomatous polyps, or long standing IBD, family hx of colorectal neoplasia (1st degree relative, esp when relative age <60), or hereditary colorectal syndrome
- Weaker risk factors: AA, male sex, tobacco use, excessive alcohol use, red meat consumptions and obesity.
- Prevention: screen for and remove precancerous adenomatous polyps
**Colorectal CA screening tests
Adults ages 50-75 (grade A rec)
- High-sensitivity fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) annually, either a guaiac-based or fecal immunochemical test (FIT)
- Sigmoidoscopy every 5 years wtih high-sensitivity FOBT every 3 years
- Screening colonoscopy every 10 years
Adults ages 76-85 years (grade C rec)
- Screening not advised because benefits small compared to risks
- Use individual decision-making if screening adult for first time
Adults > 85 years (grade D rec)
- Screening not advised d/t harm outweighs benefit
Any abnormal finding on a stool test, imaging study or flex sig warrants further evaluation with colonoscopy (gold standard)
**Signs of intestinal obstruction
Protuberant abdomen, tympanic throughout, increased peristaltic waves
**Peritonitis s/s
Positive cough test
Guarding (voluntary contraction of abdominal wall, often accompanied by a grimace)
Rigidity (involuntary reflex due to peritoneal inflammation that persists over several examinations)
Rebound tenderness (pain expressed by patient with sudden removal of hand)
Percussion tenderness
Causes include: appendicitis, cholecystitis, and a perforation of the bowel wall
Normal liver span
6-12 cm in right MCL
4-8 cm in midsternal line
If enlarged, doubles the likelihood of cirrhosis
If decreased, may be indicative of resolution of hepatitis or HF, or less comonly, with progression of fulminant hepatitis
On inspiration, the liver is palpable about 3 cm below the right costal margin in the MCL
Clinical estimates of liver size should be based on both percussion and palpation.
Spleen percussion
- Traube space: percuss the left lower anterior chest wall from the border of cardiac dullness at the 6th rib to the anterior axillary line and down to the costal margin
Normal - tympanic throughout
Abnormal - dullness
- Splenic percussion sign: Percuss the lowest interspace in the left anterior axillary line (normal: tympanic). Ask patient to take deep breath and percuss again (normal: tympanic). If abnormal (not tympanic), pay attention to palpation of spleen.
Pyelonephritis on exam
Pain with pressure or fist percussion, especially when associated with fever and dysuria, although may be musculoskeletal.
**AAA
Risk factors
Likely rupture and relative mortality
Risk Factors
- Age >= 65 years
- Male gender
- Hx of smoking
- First-degree relative with a history of AAA repair
Periumbilical or upper abdominal mass with expansile pulsations that >= 3 cm in diameter suggests an AAA.
Widths of 3-3.9 cm, 29% AAA
4-4.9 cm, 50%
>=5 cm, 76%
Rupture is 15 times more likely in AAAs > 4 cm than in smaller aneurysms
Which carries 85-90% mortality rate
USPSTF recommends ultrasound screening for men over 65 years who have “ever smoked.”
Ascites Assessment
- Percuss outward to map dullness from ascites
- In ascites, dullness shifts to the more dependent side, whereas tympany shifts to the top.
- When percussing the border of tympany and dullness with a patient in supine position, in a person without ascites the border between the two remains constant. It shifts with ascites.
- Test for fluid wave - an easily palpable impulse suggests ascites
- Ballotte the organ or mass - make a brief jabbing movement directly toward the anticipated structure

A positive fluid wave, shifting dullness and peripheral edema makes the presence of ascites 3-6 times more likely





















































