gastroenterology vocabulary Flashcards
antacid
anti- = against
medication used to neutralize stomach acids
antidiarrheal
anti- = against
medication used to control diarrhea
antiemetic
anti- = against
-emetic = pertaining to vomiting
medication to treat nausea, vomiting, and motion sickness
ascites
accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity
bariatric surgery
bar/o = weight
-atric = medical specialty
group of surgical procedures designed to treat extreme obesity by reducing the size of the stomach of diverting food from passing through a portion of the GI tract
barium enema (BE)
x-ray examination of the large intestine using barium as a contrast medium; also known as a lower GI series
cirrhosis
-osis = abnormal condition
chronic liver disease
colorectal cancer
col/o = colon
rect/o = rectum
-al = pertaining to
cancerous tumor originating in the lining of the colon or rectum
constipation
difficulty passing a bowel movement (BM) or infrequent bowel movements
Crohn’s disease
chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with mucous membrane ulcers; most often found in the ileum
diarrhea
-rrhea = discharge
passing frequent, watery, or bloody bowel movements
dysentery
dys = abnormal
enter/o = intestine
acute intestinal condition with pain, diarrhea, and blood and mucus in the stool; usually cause by a bacterial or parasitic infection
esophageal atresia
esophag/o = esophagus
-eal = pertaining to
congenital lack of the connection between the esophagus and stomach; food cannot enter the stomach
esophageal varices
esophag/o = esophagus
-eal = pertaining to
varicose veins in the esophagus, which may result in massive bleeding if they rupture
fecal occult blood test (FOBT)
clinical lab test for the presence of small amounts of blood in the feces; also called hemoccult test or stool guaiac test
gastric banding
gastr/o = stomach
-ic = pertaining to
one type of bariatric surgery; a restrictive band (commonly called a lap-band) is placed around the stomach; this prevents the stomach from expanding to hold a large amount of food, leading to smaller meals
gastric bypass
gastr/o = stomach
-ic = pertaining to
one type of bariatric surgery; a major portion of the stomach is surgically disconnected from the GI tract (but not removed from the body); leaves the esophagus, emptying food into a small gastric pouch, which then empties into the duodenum
gastric stapling
gastr/o = stomach
-ic = pertaining to
one type of bariatric surgery; closes off a large section of the stomach with rows of staples; results in a smaller stomach that cannot hold a large meal
gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) gastr/o = stomach -ic = pertaining to esophag/o = esophagus -eal = pertaining to
occurs when stomach acid backs up into the esophagus
Helicobacter pylori antibody test
clinical lab test for the presence of bacteria known to cause gastric ulcers
hematochezia
hemat/o = blood
presence of bright red blood in a bowel movement
hemorrhoids
varicose veins in the rectum
hiatal hernia
-al = pertaining to
protrusion of a portion of the stomach through the diaphragm and into the thoracic cavity; gastroesophageal reflux disease is a common symptom
ileus
obstruction of the intestine that occurs when muscular movements stop moving food or blockage prevents food from moving through the digestive tract
inguinal hernia
inguin/o = groin
-al = pertaining to
protrusion of a loop of small intestine through a weak spot in the abdominal muscle wall and into the groin region; may become incarcerated (trapped) and strangulated if the muscle tightens around the loop and cuts of its blood supply
intussusception
occurs when one section of intestine slips or telescopes into another section of intestine
irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
disturbance in normal functioning of the bowel, characterized by abdominal pain and diarrhea; often associated with stress; also called spastic colon
jaundice
yellow-colored skin and whites of the eyes associated with liver disease
laxative
medication to treat constipation
melena
very dark, tarry stool due to the presence of blood
nasogastric (NG) intubation
nas/o = nose
gastr/o = stomach
-ic = pertaining to
procedure in which a flexible tube is placed through the nose, down the esophagus, and into the stomach; may be used to gavage (placing liquid nourishment directly into the stomach), lavage (washing out the stomach to remove a dangerous substance), or to suction out stomach fluids
nausea
feeling the urge to vomit
ova and parasites (O&P)
clinical lab test for the presence of parasites or their eggs in feces
peptic ulcer disease (PUD)
craterlike erosion occurring on the mucous membrane of the lower esophagus, stomach, and/or duodenum; more dangerous if the ulcer eats through the wall of the stomach and becomes a perforated ulcer allowing stomach acids to escape into the abdominal cavity
proton pump inhibitors
medications used to treat peptic ulcer disease and gastroesophageal reflux disease by blocking the stomach’s ability to secrete acid
total parenteral nutrition (TPN)
nutrient-complete solution given directly into the bloodstream when a person cannot eat by mouth
ulcerative colitis
col/o = colon
-itis = inflammation
chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) characterized by the formation of ulcers on the mucous membrane of the colon
upper gastrointestinal (UGI) series gastr/o = stomach -al = pertaining to
x-ray examination of the esophagus and stomach using barium as a contrast medium; also known as barium swallow
volvulus
length of bowel that becomes twisted around itself
vomit
forceful return of stomach contents out of the mouth; also known as emesis
