General GI Flashcards
What is meant by acute abdomen?
An undiagnosed abdominal pain that has been present for less than 1 week.
Where does abdominal pain originate from?
Irritation of the peritoneum.
What are the four types of gastrointestinal pain?
Visceral Parietal Psychogenic Referred pain
Visceral abdominal pain
Visceral: Gut organs are insensitive to stimuli such as burning and cutting but are sensitive to distension, contraction, twisting and stretching. Pain from unpaired structures is usually, but not always, felt in the midline.
Parietal abdominal pain
Parietal: The parietal peritoneum is innervated by somatic nerves and its involvement by inflammation, infection or neoplasia causes sharp, well-localised and lateralised pain.
Referred pain
Referred pain: Gallbladder pain, for example, may be referred to the back or shoulder tip.
Psychogenic abdominal pain
Psychogenic: Cultural, emotional and psychosocial factors influence everyone’s experience of pain. In some patients, no organic cause can be found despite investigation, and psychogenic causes (depression or somatisation disorder) may be responsible
How is inflammatory pain characterised?
Inflammation: Pain develops gradually, usually over several hours. It is initially rather diffuse until the parietal peritoneum is involved, when it becomes localised. Movement exacerbates the pain; abdominal rigidity and guarding occur.
How is pain due to perforation characterised?
Perforation: When a viscus perforates, pain starts abruptly; it is severe and leads to generalised peritonitis.
How is obstructive pain characterised?
Obstruction: Pain is colicky, with spasms that cause the patient to writhe around and double up. Colicky pain that does not disappear between spasms suggests complicating inflammation.
Gallbladder pain may radiate to?
Tip of the right scapula
Murphy’s sign
Murphy’s Sign. A Murphy sign is a “catch” in the breath elicited by gently pressing on the right upper quadrant and asking the patient to take a deep breath.
What does a positive Murphy’s sign indicate?
Cholecystitis
Low albumin levels may be a sign of what?
A normal albumin range is 3.4 to 5.4 g/dL. If you have a lower albumin level, you may have malnutrition. It can also mean that you have liver disease or an inflammatory disease.
High albumin levels may be a sign of what?
Higher albumin levels may be caused by acute infections, burns, and stress from surgery or a heart attack.
