Gastrointestinal Flashcards
Nasogastric (NG) Tube
A flexible tube that is passed through the nose, down through the esophagus, and
into the stomach.
used to either remove substances from or add them to the stomach.
Atresia
Congenital absence or closure of normal orifice or tubular organ, (e.g. esophageal atresia)
Hypertrophic Pyloric Stenosis
Thickened pyloric sphincter
Creates partial/full obstruction between stomach and duodenum
Esophageal Stricture
Narrowing or tightening of the esophagus due to scar tissue formation
Usually due to some form of
damage/injury to the esophagus.
Esophagitis
Inflammation or irritation of the esophagus
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
A chronic disease that occurs when stomach acid or bile flows into the esophagus and irritates the lining
Barrett’s Esophagus
complication of GERD,
normal esophagus tissue turns into intestine tissue
Increase cancer risk
Esophageal Varices
Abnormal, enlarged veins in the esophagus.
occurs most often in people with serious liver
diseases.
Esophageal varices develop when normal blood flow to the liver is blocked
Peptic Ulcer Disease (PUD)
Painful sores or ulcers develop in the lining of the stomach or the first part of the small intestine (the
duodenum).
Gastritis
An inflammation of the protective lining of the stomach. The inflammation of gastritis is most often the
result of infection with the same bacterium that causes most stomach ulcers
Appendicitis
An inflammation of the appendix, a finger-shaped pouch that projects from your colon on the lower
right side of your abdomen
Crohn Disease (Regional Enteritis)
A type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that may affect any segment of the gastrointestinal tract
from the mouth to the anus
Ulcerative Colitis
An inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes inflammation and ulcers or sores in your digestive
tract. Ulcerative colitis affects the innermost lining of your large intestine and rectum
Hiatal Hernia
A condition in which the upper part of your stomach bulges through an opening in your diaphragm.
Hiatal hernias can have no symptoms, or some cases, they may be associated with heartburn and
abdominal discomfort
Bowel Obstruction
A serious problem that happens when something blocks your bowels, either the large or small intestine.
Symptoms may include severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and an inability to pass gas or stool.
May require a decrease in technique
Volvulus
Occurs when a loop of intestine twists around itself and the mesentery that supports it, resulting in a
bowel obstruction. Symptoms include abdominal pain, abdominal bloating, vomiting, constipation, and
bloody stool.
Intussusception
A serious condition in which part of the intestine slides into an adjacent part of the intestine. This
telescoping action often blocks food or fluid from passing through. Intussusception also cuts off the
blood supply to the part of the intestine that is affected.
Paralytic Ileus
Mimics the signs and symptoms of intestinal obstruction, but it doesn’t involve a physical blockage. In
paralytic ileus, muscle or nerve problems disrupt the normal coordinated muscle contractions of the
intestines, slowing or stopping the movement of food and fluid through the digestive system
Achalasia
A rare disorder that makes it difficult for food and liquid to pass from the esophagus into the stomach.
Achalasia occurs when nerves in the esophagus become damaged. As a result, the esophagus becomes
paralyzed and dilated over time and eventually loses the ability to squeeze food down into the stomach
Esophageal Diverticulum (e.g. Zenker’s Diverticulum)
An outpouching of mucosa through the muscular layer of the esophagus. It can be asymptomatic or
cause dysphagia and regurgitation. A Zenker’s diverticulum is a posterior outpouching that occurs at the
junction of the lower part of the throat and the upper portion of the esophagus
Diverticulosis
A condition in which there are small pouches or pockets in the wall or lining of any portion of the
digestive tract. These pockets occur when the inner layer of the digestive tract pushes through weak
spots in the outer layer. A single pouch is called a diverticulum.
Diverticulitis:
When one or more of these diverticula become inflamed or infected, the condition is called diverticulitis
Leiomyomas
Benign tumors arising from smooth muscle cells of the esophagus. Although rare, they are the most
common benign tumor of the esophagus, and they may occur in all parts of the esophagus
Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Squamous-cell carcinoma arises from the squamous cells that line the esophagus, and cancer developing
from squamous cells can occur along the entire esophagus.
Esophageal Adenocarcinoma
Adenocarcinoma arises from glandular cells present in the lower third of the esophagus. To develop
adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, squamous cells that normally line the esophagus are replaced by
gland cells. This typically occurs in the lower esophagus near the stomach and is believed to be largely
related to acid exposure to the lower esophagus
Gastric Carcinoma
Stomach cancer or gastric cancer can affect any part of the stomach. In most of the world, stomach
cancers are more likely to form in the body of the stomach, however; in the United States stomach
cancer is more likely to affect the area the esophagus meets the stomach. This area is called the
gastroesophageal junction
Polyps
Abnormal tissue growths that most often look like small, flat bumps or tiny mushroom-like growths.
Most polyps are small and less than half an inch wide. Polyps in the colon are the most common, but it’s
also possible to develop polyps in places including the ear canal and cervix
Colorectal Adenocarcinoma
Adenocarcinomas of the colon and rectum make up about 95 percent of all colorectal cancer cases. In
the gastrointestinal tract, rectal and colon adenocarcinomas develop in the cells of the lining inside the
large intestine. Adenocarcinomas of the colon and rectum typically start as a growth of tissue called a
polyp; a particular type of polyp called an adenoma may develop into cancer.
