Gastroenterology Flashcards
CONSTIPATION: To be able to take a history to differentiate simple constipation from motility disorders such as Hirschprung’s disease.
CONSTIPATION: To understand the management of simple constipation/stool withholding
Management
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Lifestyle changes
- Increase fibre intake: Fruit, veg, fruit juice
-
Addressing toilet habits
- Encourage to go to toilet after meals for 5 minutes
- Star chart as a reward
- Step to enhance sitting position
-
Pharmacolgocial
- 1st line: Stool softeners
- 2nd line: Stimulant
- Oral magnesium citrate/phosphate: Bowel ‘clear out’
- Relief from distension or prolonged constipation if there is no response to above listed treatment
- Enema
CONSTIPATION: Be aware of features of history that differentiate soiling due to constipation and overflow and functional encopresis.
Soiling due to constipation
- Faeces tend to be looser (types 6/7) as this is overflow diarrhoea
- History of constipation: Difficulty passing stools, abdominal pain/distension,
Soiling due to functional encopresis (repeated (involuntary) faecal soiling)
- May be ‘smears’ or more rarely whole stools
CONSTIPATION: Be aware of sources of support for children and families with soiling and encopresis.
ERIC - The childrens bowel and bladder charity
NHS Choices
CONSTIPATION: Understand aetiology, presenting features and management options of Hirschsprung’s disease.
Hirschprung’s disease
RARE but top differential in CONSTIPATION
Aetiology: Failed development of a portion of the myenteric plexus, of the large bowel or rectum. This causes a segment of the bowel to be ‘paralysed’ and narrowed and constricted, preventing the passage of stools (no peristaltic movement).
Associated with Down’s syndrome
Presenting features:
- Delayed passage of meconium (> 24 hours)
- Bilious vomiting
- Explosive diarrhoea
- Older children: Abdominal distension, faltering growth
Management:
- Bowel irrigation: Allows for faecal emptying. Only if NO enterocolitis
- Colostomy and biopsy
- ‘Pull through procedure’: Ganglionic bowel is connected to the rectum, restoring continuity of the bowel. The colostomy may then be reversed
CONSTIPATION: Differentials for constipation
- Idiopathic constipation
- dehydration
- low-fibre diet
- medications: e.g. Opiates
- anal fissure
- over-enthusiastic potty training
- hypothyroidism
- Hirschsprung’s disease
- hypercalcaemia
- learning disabilities
CONSTIPATION: Be aware of serious / life threatening complications and presenting features of Hirschprung’s disease.
Enterocolitis: Presents with abdominal pain, bloody watery diarrhoea, circulatory collapse and sepsis
Aetiology: Bowel ischaemia → necrosis → perforation → enterocolitis
Post-operative diarrhoea (following resection of bowel)
Duhamel-related rectal pouch (persistence of a section of the aganglionic bowel. Can grow overtime and allow for chronic faecal impaction)
GASTROENTERITIS: To be aware of current NICE guidelines on management of gastroenteritis. This includes clinical examination relating to assessment of hydration.
Current NICE guidelines:
DIARRHOEA: Understand suggestive features in history and recommended management of infant with cow’s milk protein intolerance.
Features of history:
- Vomiting (non-bilious)
- Diarrhoea
- Blood in stools (due to allergic colitis) in an otherwise healthy infant
- Colicky-pain
- Skin rash
- FHx of ectopy
- Faltering growth
Management:
- Breast fed: Exclusion of cows milk from maternal diet
- Prescribe maternal calcium and vitamin D supplementation
- Specialised formula
- Extensively hydrolysed
- Amino acid: For those who cannot tolerate extensively hydrolysed
- May reintroduce cows milk into the diet at a later stage of development (1 year)?
- Do not use soya milk under 6 months of age
DIARRHOEA: Understand the age range and clinical features of toddler diarrhoea.
Age range: 6 months - 5 years
Clinical features:
- Colicky intestinal pain
- Increased flatulence
- Abdominal distension
- Loose stools with undigested food (‘peas and carrots’
- Child is otherwise well and thriving
DIARRHOEA: Offer reassurance from more serious forms of diarrhoea
‘Commonly happens in children of this age..’
‘There are no risk factors/features in the history that suggest anything more serious/infection’
No sign of dehydration, no blood in stools
‘The examination has been completely normal, there is nothing concerning me’
‘If you’re still worried or things get worse then consult your GP or come back’
NUTRITION: To be aware of current NICE guidelines on infant feeding
NUTRITION: To be able to counsel parents on where to obtain advice / support with relation to breast feeding
- Healthcare professionals: Midwife, health visitor, GP
- Local support: Local children’s Centre or Family Information Service
- Helplines: National Breastfeeding Helpline
- Websites
- Start4Life Breasting feeding
Should breast feed at least 8 times a day in the first few weeks
Cannot overfeed a breast fed baby
Babies stomach is small (size of walnut) hence, feeding must be little and often. This is why baby-led feeding is important
NUTRITION: To have a knowledge of specialist formulas and indications for their use i.e.: whole protein vs semi-hydrolysed vs hydrolysed feed
NUTRITION: To be able to take a history to determine a differential diagnosis in cases of failure to thrive/faltering growth.
NUTRITION: Understand importance of nutrition scoring (MUST tool and paediatric equivalents)
Nutritional scoring allows for the risk of malnutrition to be calculated and therefore avoid malnutrition in at risk individuals
NUTRITION: Understand the concept and presenting features of protein / energy malnutrition (kwashiorkor).
NUTRITION: Recognise symptoms and signs of overfeeding
Signs:
- Accelerated weight gain
- Excessive nappy changes (8 or more heavily soiled)
Symptoms:
- Abdominal distension
- Diarrhoea (foul smelling)
- Excessive flatulence and passing of wind
- Refusal to feed
! Cannot overfeed a breast fed baby (NHS)