Gastroenterology Flashcards
Liver enzymes in alcoholic Liver disease
AST/ALT ratio greater than two
AST is usually below 300 and almost always below 500
Patients will also have elevated GGT levels
Two main types of dysphagia
Oro pharyngeal
Esophageal
Oro pharyngeal dysphagia presentation
Difficulty initiating swallowing, often accompanied by coughing, drooling, or aspiration
Esophageal dysphagia presentation
Characterized by delayed sensations of food sticking in the upper or lower chest
Distinguishing between neuromuscular disorders and mechanical obstruction in dysphagia
Dysphagia for both solids and liquids initially would suggest a neuromuscular disorder
Dysphagia for initially solids in later liquids is indicative of mechanical obstruction
Diagnosis of oral pharyngeal dysphagia
Most reliable first test is nasopharyngeal laryngoscopy
An esophagram would be indicatedto evaluate for achalasia
Two main types of esophageal cancer
Squamous cell carcinoma
Adenocarcinoma
Location of esophageal adenocarcinoma
Generally found in the distal to mid esophagus
Risk factors for esophageal adenocarcinoma
GRD and Barrett’s esophagus
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma location
Upper esophagus
Risk factors for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Alcohol and tobacco
Peptic stricture pathophysiology
Well known complication of GER D that results from the healing process of ulcerative esophagitis
Drugs that cause pancreatitis
Furosemide and thiazide diuretics
Lactose intolerance pathophysiology
Occurs when there is insufficient amounts of lactase enzyme in the brush border of the duodenum, thereby resulting in the inability to break down and ingested the lactose into glucose and galactose
Diagnosis of lactose intolerance
Lactose intolerance can be diagnosed with the lactose breath hydrogen test
Patient should fast for eight hours prior to the test
Follow up colonoscopy at 10 years
Small rectal hyperplastic polyp’s
Follow up colonoscopy in five years
One or two small less than 1 cm tubular adenoma’s
Follow-up colonoscopy in three years
3 to 10 adenomas
Any adenoma greater than 1 cm
Adenoma with high-grade dysplasia or villous features
Follow up colonoscopy in less than three years
More than 10 adenomas
Definition of dyspepsia
Abdominal fullness or pain without significant heartburn
Treatment of dyspepsia
In patients for less than 55 years of age, treatment and testing for H pylori should be performed
Patient is greater than 55 years of age, should undergo endoscopy to rule out malignancy
Manometry findings in Scleroderma
Absence of peristaltic waves in the lower two thirds of the esophagus and a significant decrease in the lower esophageal sphincter tone
Manno metric findings in achalasia
Significant decrease or absence of peristaltic waves and increased lower esophageal sphincter tone
Diagnosis of SBP
Greater than 250 neutrophils in the a ascitic fluid
Treatment of hepatic encephalopathy
Lactulose
Components of the MELD score
Bilirubin
INR
Serum creatinine
Purpose of the MELD score
To determine 90 day mortality in patients with advanced liver disease
The calculation is commonly used in assessing candidate for transplant livers and TIPS placement
Risk of infection in patients with bleeding esophageal varices
Risk is as high as 50%
Infections can include SBP
Therefore these patients should be treated prophylactically with antibiotics. The preferred regimen involves the useof a floroquinolone for 7 to 10 days
Presentation of chronic mesenteric ischemia
Crampy abdominal pain that worsens with meals
Also known as intestinal angina
Patient may lose weight due to avoidance of food
Diagnosis of chronic mesenteric ischemia
Can be made noninvasively with CTA, MRA, or duplex ultrasound
Angiography remains the gold standard for diagnosis
Presentation of renal colic compared with peritonitis
Patients with renal colic tend to writhe in pain
Patients with peritonitis tend to lie flat and motionless to limit peritoneum irritation
Presentation of peritonitis secondary to hollow viscus perforation
Sudden onset abdominal pain with significant tenderness and guarding
Diagnosis of peritonitis secondary to hollow viscus perforation
Upright chest x-ray
Management of perforated viscous
Emergency surgery
Broad-spectrum antibiotics, proton pump inhibitor’s, fluid resuscitation leading up to surgery
Presentation of small bowel obstruction
Abdominal distention, nausea, vomiting, and intermittent abdominal pain
Complete obstruction of the intestinal lumen leads to dilation of the stomach and proximal small intestine leading to the symptoms
Most common cause of small bowel obstruction
Postoperative adhesion formation
Diagnosis of diverticulitis
Abdominal CT scan
Possible findings include colonic wall thickening and stranding of the mesenteric fat
Treatment of mild diverticulitis
Treatment can be performed as an outpatient with a combination of Cipro and metronidazole
Two categories of acute mesenteric ischemia
Occlusive and nonocclusive
Causes of occlusive mesenteric ischemia
Embolic or thrombotic involvement of the superior mesenteric system whether artery or vein
Segmental intestinal strangulation
Volvulus
Causes of nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia
Hypo perfusion such as from a low cardiac output leading to splanchnic hypoperfusion and vasoconstriction
Presentation of acute mesenteric ischemia
Sudden onset of periumbilical pain with nausea and vomiting
Initial abdominal exam is usually normal without peritoneal signs.
Pain is often out of proportion to the exam findings
Progression of small bowel ischemia to infarction leads to a grossly distended abdomen, absent bowel sounds, and peritoneal signs
Lab work in acute mesenteric ischemia
Marked leukocytosis, elevated lactate, and metabolic acidosis
Diagnosis of acute mesenteric ischemia
CT angiogram
Treatment of acute mesenteric ischemia
Fluid resuscitation, correction a metabolic acidosis, broad-spectrum antibiotics, and nasogastric tube for decompression
Surgical consult is required
Pathophysiology of primary biliary cirrhosis
How do I immune disease that is characterized by the destruction of small and midsize bile ducts
There is progressive fibrosis and in stage liver disease can occur 5 to 10 years after the diagnosis
Presentation of primary biliary cirrhosis
Pruritis
Jaundice
Fatigue
Hyperlipidemia with xanthomas
Osteoporosis
Lab work and primary biliary cirrhosis
Elevated alkaline phosphatase
Diagnosis of primary biliary cirrhosis
Anti-mitochondrial antibody’s have high sensitivity and specificity
Diagnostic confirmation requires liver biopsy
Elevated lab and autoimmune hepatitis
Anti-smooth muscle antibody
Labs in Wilson disease
Low ceruloplasmin
Elevated AST and AL T
Treatment of primary biliary Cirrhosis
Ursodeoxycholic acid can slow the progression of PBC
The only curative treatment is a liver transplant
Steroids and immunosuppressive drugs are not useful despite the diseases apparent autoimmune nature
Presentation of bacterial enteritis
Fever and bloody diarrhea
Treatment of bacterial enteritis
Focus mainly on rehydration
Antibiotics are only indicated for patients with severe disease but should not be administered until EHEC has been ruled out due to the risk of HUS
Treatment of functional GER in infants
Should be reassured that this is normal and can thicken the formula with cereal
Treatment of bleeding esophageal varices
Endoscopic intervention
If multiple attempts fail, surgical shining or TIPS should be considered
Prevention of the esophageal varices bleeding
Nonselective beta blocker’s such as nadolol or propranolol
Diagnosis of hepatitis B infection during the window period
IgM anti-HBc
Presentation of intussusception
Intermittent, severe, crampy abdominal pain
Palpable sausage shaped mass on the right side of the abdomen
Current jelly stool’s
Pathophysiology of intussusception
Telescoping of a proximal portion of the intestine into a distal portion