Gastro Flashcards
What investigation would you get for suspected appendicitis?
Normally a clinical dx
You may need to get a pelvic USS to exclude ovarian cyst accident
CT abdomen - if uncertain
What score can you use for appendicitis
Alvarado score
>4 is high likelyhood of it being appendicitis
What are the three signs you can get in appendicitis
Rosvig’s sign
Cope’s sign
Psoas sign
What is Rosvig sign
Pain worse in RIF when pressing down on LIF
What is Cope sign
Pain on passive flexion and internal rotation of hip
What is Psoas sign, and what does it indicate exactly
Pain on extending hip
Indicates RETROCAECAL APPENDIX
How would you manage appendicitis
start prophylactic antibiotics before surgery
THEN laparoscopic appendicectomy
what extra thing must you do if appendicitis is perforated
ABDOMINAL LAVAGE
What is ascending cholangitis
INFECTION of the biliary traact
What causes ascending cholangitis
Obstruction + infection
Obstruction can be caused by:
- gallstones
- ERCP
- cholaangiocarcinoma
- pancreatitis
- PSC
How will pt with ascending cholangitis present
ACUTELY UNWELL - MAY BE SEPTIC
Charcot’s triad: fever + RUQ pain + jaundice
Reynaud’s pentad: + hypotension + confusion
How do you investigate and manage suspected ascending cholangirtis
Bloods: Raised ALP and GGT
Ix: USS biliary tract (will show thickened wall and bile duct dilatation)
ERCP (ix and mx) - to clear obstruction
If cause was gall stones, may need cholecystectomy
How do you manage acute cholangitis
IV Abx AND ERCP within 24-48h
What are the three types of gallbladder disease you can get?
BILIARY COLIC: stones causing pain in gallbladder neck
CHOLECYSTITIS: inflammation of gallbladder
ASCENDING CHOLANGITIS: inflammation of bile duct
Describe the three types of gall stones
cholesterol (if fat, poor diet)
pigment (if haemolytiic anaemia)
mixed
What are RF for gallstones
Fat
Fair
Fourty
Female
FH
+ OCP, pregnancy, haemolytic anaemia
What is a biliary colicj
stones in the neck of gallbladder causing pain on contraction
Describe the pain in a biliary colic
Colicky (intermittent)
Triggered by eatiing fatty foods
Sudden, dull
In RUQ
How do you investigate for gallbladder pathology
Abdo USS of gallbladder and bile ducts
MRCP if nothing visible (and suspected cholecystitis / biliary colic)
what do you see on USS of gallbladder in pathology
thickened wall
Bile duct dilatation
Gallstones
How do you manage biliary colic
IV analgesia
elective cholecystectomy within 6 weeks
What are symptoms of cholecystitis
Pain (constant, RUQ) + fever
How do you manage acute cholecystitis
IV Abx
IV analgesia, antiemetics
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (<72h)
What are symptoms and signs of pancreatitis
severe epigastric pain radiating to back, N&V
Cullen’s (periumbilical), grey turner sign (retroperitoneal=
What Ix must you get for acute pancreatitis
serum amylase 3x normal upper range (although does not correlate to disease severity)
consider serum lipase (more S&S, not as available)
ABG (will need PO2 for Glasgow score)
FBC, U&E, LFT, Albumin, BG, calcium
USS (exclude gallstones)
CT abdo (if clinical uncertainty)
What scoring systems can you use for acute pancreatitis
Ranson
Apache II
Modified Glasgow
What are the contents of the glasgow score
PANCREAS
PaO2 <8
Age >55
Neutrophils
Calcium LOW
Urea high
Enzymes high (LDH>, AST/ALT>200)
ALbumin (<32)
Sugar >10
How do you manage pancreagtitis
SUPPORTIVE tx
aggressive IV fluid resus > maintainance
analgesia (IV morphile 1-2mg STAT boluses until comfortable)
antiemetics
Consider NG tube and fluid balance chart (catheter)
Correct cause f possble
Pancreatits complications
EARLY: DIC, ARDS, hypocalcaemia, hyperglycaemia
LATE: pseudocyst, pancreatic abscess, pancreatic necrosis
What classification can you use for diverticulitis
Hinchley classification 1-4
What investigation do you go for acute diverticulitis
CT abdomen (never colonoscopy acutely, as perforation risk)
What is the management of acute diverticulitis
IV Abx, IV fluids, analgesia - NBM
If severely unwell: Hartmann’s procedure (sigmoid colectomy with end colostomy > anastamosis at later date, only possible in 50% of patients)
what is the region affected by UC
UC Region: colon only (it’s in the name!) - starts in rectum and runs towards proximal colon (max until iliocaecal valce)
what is the levels of the gut layers affected by UC
UC: Mucosa and submucosa only (SUPERFICIAL - remember that this condition affects less of everything compared to chron’s)
What is the inflammation like pathologically for UC (so on biopsy?
continuous (leadpipe)
pseudo-polyps
thumbprinting
what condition is rellated to UC
PSC
What are typical symptoms of UC
BLOODY diarrhoea
MUCOUS
LIF pain
tenesmus
what is the layer affected by CD
Transmural, with NON CASEATING GRANULOMAs
what is the region of gut affected by CD
ALL OF IT
Mouth to anus
what is the most common region affected by CD D
Terminal ileum
what are signs on biospy of histology for CD
skip lesions
rose thorn ulcers
cobblestoning
string of kantor (narrow ileum stricture)
what IBD condition are abscesses / fissures common in
in CHRON’s
What are chron’s sx
non bloody diarrhoea
RIF mass and pain
mouth ulcers, fissures in ano, perianal skin tags
FAILURE TO THRVE
How unwell are patients during flares between CD and UC
CD: systemically unwerll
UC: well
what personal factor can precipitate a UC flare?
stopping smoking
what are extra intestinal manifestations of IBD
A PIE SAC
aphtous ulcers
pyoderma gangrenosum
iritis, uveitis, episcleritis
erythema nodosum
sclerosing cholangitis (primary - UC)
arthritis
clubbing
What investigations shoulld you get for suspected IBD
faecal calprotectin (marker of inflamm)
Bloods (FBC, UE, CRP, LFT, pANCA)
Scope (colonoscopy +-OGD for chron’s)
Biopsy
what is the two key steps in mx of chron’’s
Induce remission»_space; maintain remission
how do you indduce remission in chron’s
Steroids, then biologics
Nutritional: repllace diet with whole protein modular diet (excessively liquid for 6-8 weeks)
How do you maintain remission in chron’s
(beware that continuing steroids can have long term consequences)
- stop smoking
- DMARD (e.g. azatioprine, mercaptopurine, methotrexate)
Alternatives to DMARD: aminosalicylate, biological thherapoy
also remember to vaccinate (not with live vaccines though)
How do you manage UC
Mesalazine FIRST
Then steroids and biologics ( Aminosallycates, azathioprine, mercaptopurine)
What must you always measure before starting someone on azathioprine
TPMT (enzyme required for its breakdown)
if TPMT is low, give methotrex instead
Which IBD type is surgery curative for?
UC
What type of surgery is typically done for UC
Hartmann’s proctosigmoidoscopy + end ileostomy > later IPAA
what is classic presentation of IBS
young
femaille
anxious, stressed, depressed
pain
bloating and diarrhoea / constipation
How do you diagnose IBS
Diagnosis of EXCLUSION, based on ROME III criteria
- improvement with defecatioon
- change in stool frequency
- change in stool form / appearance / consistency
What are haemorrhoids
vascular cushions that protrude through the rectum via straining on defecation
What are the four classes of haemorrhoids
1: in rectum
2. prolapse through anus, reduce spontaneously
3. prolapse though anus, manual reduction
4. persistently prolapsed (not prolapsed)