gastroenterology vocabulary Flashcards by Lisa Ward

antacid

anti- = against

medication used to neutralize stomach acids

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antidiarrheal

anti- = against

medication used to control diarrhea

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antiemetic
anti- = against
-emetic = pertaining to vomiting

medication to treat nausea, vomiting, and motion sickness

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ascites

accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity

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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

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barium enema (BE)

x-ray examination of the large intestine using barium as a contrast medium; also known as a lower GI series

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cirrhosis

-osis = abnormal condition

chronic liver disease

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colorectal cancer
col/o = colon
rect/o = rectum
-al = pertaining to

cancerous tumor originating in the lining of the colon or rectum

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constipation

difficulty passing a bowel movement (BM) or infrequent bowel movements

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Crohn’s disease

chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with mucous membrane ulcers; most often found in the ileum

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diarrhea

-rrhea = discharge

passing frequent, watery, or bloody bowel movements

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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

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esophageal atresia
esophag/o = esophagus
-eal = pertaining to

congenital lack of the connection between the esophagus and stomach; food cannot enter the stomach

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esophageal varices
esophag/o = esophagus
-eal = pertaining to

varicose veins in the esophagus, which may result in massive bleeding if they rupture

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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

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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

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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