Gastrointestinal Flashcards
What is the acute abdomen?
A sudden, severe onset of acute abdominal pain lasting less than 24 hours
What signs may indicate peritonitis?
Guarding or rigidity
Rebound tenderness
Absent bowel sounds
What is a complication of peritonitis?
Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis - spontaneous infection of the ascites in cirrhotic liver disease
What is the difference between localised and generalised peritonitis?
Localised - due to underlying organ inflammation such as appendicitis
Generalised - due to perforation such as peptic ulcer or ruptured appendix
What is the foregut border and supply?
Mouth to the major duodenal papilla
Coeliac axis - T12
What is the midgut border and supply?
Major duodenal papailla to 2/3 along the transverse colon
Superior mesenteric artery - L1
What is the hindgut border and supply?
Left 1/3 along the transverse colon to the upper anal canal
Inferior mesenteric - L3
What is a hernia?
Protrusion of a viscus or part of a viscus through a defect in the abdominal wall
What is the process of a hernia becoming strangulated?
Bowel through narrow neck may cause swelling and so an interrupted blood supply.
Capillary pressure increases - leaks into hernial cavity - increases the pressure - increased swelling and pressure - venous outflow reduced - stasis of blood - thrombosis - greater pressure - swelling - necrosis and death of bowel
What is a Richter’s hernia?
Strangulation of the bowel without obstruction.
One wall of the bowel is protruding through the weakness in the abdominal wall. Bowel contents can still pass through but the bowel can still become ischaemic and die
What are the borders of the inguinal cavity?
Roof - M - Transversus abdominis muscles and internal oblique muscle
Anterior - A - External and internal oblique aponeurosis
Lower - L - lacunar ligament and inguinal ligament
Posterior - T - Conjoint tendon and transveralis fascia
What are the types of oesophageal cancers and their associations?
Squamous - Can affect anywhere in the oesophagus, but more common in upper and middle 1/3 - associated with smoking and drinking, HPV, achalasia
Adenocarcinoma - Affects lower 1/3. GORD and obesity
What antibiotics might you give early in acute peritonitis?
IV metronidazole 500mg + Cefuroxime 750mg
What are the causes of upper GI perforations?
INVITED Infections - H.pylori Neoplasm - Gastric carcinoma Vascular - inflammatory or AI Iatrogenic - ERCP or OGD Traumatic - stab wound Endocrine - Zollinger Ellison syndrome Drugs - NSAIDs Chemicals - batteries
What organisms are commonly involved in intra-abdominal abscesses?
Anaerobes, E.coli, klebsiella, enterococcus
What is the definitive management for an intra-abdominal abscess?
IV antibiotics if septic - Amox + met + gent
Radiologically guided US or CT drainage
Open surgical drainage if ^ not possible or safe
What are the first line antibiotics in spontaneous bacterial peritonitis?
IV Tazobactam with piperacillin 4.5g/8h
What triad may be seen in cholangitis? (Inflammation of the biliary tree)
Charcot’s triad - Jaundice, RUQ pain, fever
What pentad may indicate Acute suppurative Cholangitis?
Reynold’s - Jaundice, Fever, RUQ pain, hypotension, confusion
What is Mirizzis syndrome?
Obstructive jaundice
Caused by extrinsic compression of an extra hepatic biliary duct from one or more calculi in the cystic duct or GB. Can present with biliary duct dilation and can mimic e.g. cholangiocarcinoma
What type of pancreatic cancer is most common?
Adenocarcinoma of the head of the pancreas
What tumour marker indicates pancreatic cancer?
CA19-9
What might cause raised amylase?
Acute pancreatitis Ectopic pregnancy Bowel perforation Mesenteric ischaemia DKA
What scale can be used to assess acute pancreatitis?
PANCREAS Glasgow scale/Imrie scale PaO2 < 60 Age > 55 Neutrophils (WCC >15) Calcium < 2 uRea > 16 Enzymes (LDH > 600 or ALT/AST >200) Albumin < 32 Sugar > 10
What are some local complications of acute pancreatitis?
Pancreatic pseudocyst Pancreatic necrosis Pancreatic abscess Infected pancreatic necrosis Gastric outlet obstruction Haemorrhage Portal vein thrombosis
What are some distant complications of acute pancreatitis?
Hypotension/ shock Renal failure, liver failure, multi organ failure Infection Respiratory failure Ileus
What structural changes occur in chronic pancreatitis?
Calcification, fibrosis and atrophy
What are some complications of chronic pancreatitis?
Ascites, Pancreatic pseudocysts, pancreatic cancer, diabetes
What are some causes of upper GI bleeding?
Mallory-Weiss tear Oesophgeal varices Stomach or duodenal ulcer Stomach or duodenal cancer Gastritis GORD Angiodysplasia
What score establishes the risk of having an upper GI bleed?
Glasgow-blatchford scale
Drop in Hb, rise in urea, Bp, HR, syncope, meleana
How would you manage an upper GI bleed?
ABATED
A-E assessment and immediate fluid resuscitation
Bloods - FBC, Xmatch, LFTs, U&Es (Urea), CRP, INR, clotting
Access - 2 large bore cannula - for fluids, give O2
Transfuse when Hb <7-8g/dL (FFP/platlets/prothrombin complex concentrate)
Endoscopy (adrenaline injection/banding of varies/ heater probe/ sengstaken tube/ surgery)
Drugs - STOP NSAIDs and anticoagulants
What is first line management in acute variceal bleeding?
Resus - IV fluids, transfuse <7g/dL
*Antibiotics (Ceftriaxone or Ciprofloxacin) + Terlipressin (Vasoactive drug) EARLY
Endoscopic banding 1st line for varices
TIPS or sengstaken tube for uncontrolled bleeding
Dysphagia can be split into 2 main causes, what are they?
Oesophageal - inability to pass food or liquid down the oesophagus
Oropharyngeal - Difficulty initiating swallowing - coughing on swallowing, nasal regurgitation, choking
What are the possible causes of inability to pass solid food only down the oesophagus?
Mechanical obstruction -
Progressive? (>50? weight loss?) – Carcinoma. (Heart burn?) - peptic stricture
Inermittent? - lower oesophageal ring dysfunction
What are the possible causes of inability to pass solid and liquids down the oesophagus?
Neuromuscular disorder -
Intermittent - Diffuse oesophageal spasm
Progressive - (reflux sx?) - Scleroderma. Achalasia
What are the possible causes of dysphasia where there is trouble initiating swallowing?
Neuro - Bulbar plasy
Muscular - Myasthenia gravis, muscular dystrophy
Structural - Thyromegaly
What may be the problem in a patient presenting with dysphagia who has a neck bulge and gurgling noise occurs on drinking?
Pharyngeal pouch
What causes corkscrew appearance on a barium swallow?
Diffuse oesophageal spams - intermittent - both solids and liquids
Usually with chest pain
Multifocal high amplitude contractions possibly due to dysfunction of the inhibitory neurones.
What might cause a patient to present with odynophagia, dysphagia, mouth thrush and white spots on endoscopy?
Oesophageal candidiasis - in immunocompromised patients due to candid albicans.
Tx - Fluconazole 50mg for 7-14 days
What is Achalasia?
Motility disorder due to progressive destruction of the ganglion cells in the myenteric plexus.
Failure of the lower oesophageal sphincter to relax and progressive failure of smooth muscle contraction
What investigations might you do in suspected achalasia?
Endoscopy
*Oesophgeal Manometry - Absence of peristalsis, Higher lower oesophageal resting tone and failure of the lower sphincter to relax.
Barium swallow - Bird beak appearance.
Tx - Ca channel blockers or nitrates or Laproscopic hellers myotomy or balloon dilation
What is a pharyngeal pouch?
Zenker’s diverticulum
Uncoordinated swallowing movement cause herniation through the cricopharyngeal muscle
Chronic cough, neck lump, gurgling, hoarse voice, halitosis, aspiration, regurgitation
What are some ALARMing symptoms in peptic ulcer disease?
Iron deficiency Anaemia Loss of weight Anorexia Recent onset/progressive symptoms Melaena and coffee ground vomit - haematemesis Dysphagia
What triple therapy is used in H.pylori?
PPi + amoxicillin + Clarithromycin or metronidazole 7 days PO
Give some features of diffuse gastric cancer?
Mainly affects cardia. Associated with GORD
Individuals malignant cells with mucin vacuoles (signet ring cells)
Can invade extensively but not seen well endoscopically - Linitis plastica
Mets to ovaries - Krunkenberg tumour, Mets to umbilicus - sister Mary Jospeh nodule, mets to stomach - Virchows node, mets to pouch of douglas - Blumer’s shelf
Where does coeliac disease affect?
Small bowel - particularly the jejunum
What is the genetic link to coeliac disease?
HLA-DQ2/8
What antibodies are found in coeliac and what must you test before checking for these?
Anti-TTG - Anti-tissue transglutaminase
Anti-EMA - Anti-endomysial antibody
These will rise if the disease is active and may disappear with effective treatment
Check for an IgA deficiency
What are some complications of untreated coeliac disease?
Vitamin deficiency Anaemia Osteoporosis Enteropathy associated T cell lymphoma of the intestines NHL Small bowel adenocarcinoma
What diseases are associated with coeliac?
Dermatitis herpitiformis (itchy blistering skin rash typically on the abdomen) T1DM IgA deficiency
What are some signs of GI malabsorption?
Anaemia (low Fe, B12 or folate) Bleeding disorders (Low Vitamin K - Longer INR) Metabolic bone disease (low Vitamin D) Neuropathy (low Ca) Oedema (low protein)
What is refractory coeliac disease?
Recurrent malabsorptive symptoms and villous atrophy despite being on a strict gluten free diet for at least 6-12 months in the absence of another cause of non-responsive treated coeliac disease and overt malignancy
Can try steroids - Azathioprine
What are some features of intestinal type gastric cancer?
Due to H.pylori
Distal stomach affected - body and antrum
Pangastritis can lead to it/ atrophic gastritis
Ulcerated growth
A complication of a gastrectomy is dumping syndrome, what is this?
Sudden and large passage of hypertonic gastric fluid into the small bowel causing large intraluminal fluid shifts causing nausea, diarrhoea, hypovolaemia and intestinal distention,