General GI surgery Flashcards
What do we look for in the history of a patient with GI complaint?
-History of presenting complaint- SOCRATES, associated symptoms
- PMHx (past medical history)
- DHX (drug history)
- SHx (social history)
What range of investigations are there?
- Bloods
- Urinalysis + urine MC&S → check for UTI
- Imaging
- Endoscopy
What bloods can be done?
- VBG
- FBC
- CRP
- U&Es (renal profile)
- LFTs + amylase
What imaging is performed?
- Erect CXR
- AXR
- CTAP (CT of abdomen and pelvis)
- CT angiogram- when you suspect bleeding or infarction or large intraabdominal blood vessel
- USS
What are the 3 approaches to management?
- ABCDE approach
- Airways
- Breathing
- Circulation
- Disability
- Exposure
- Conservative management
- Surgical management
What diseases are associated with RUQ?
- Bilary Colic
- Cholecystitis/Cholangitis
- Duodenal Ulcer
- Liver abscess
- Portal vein thrombosis
- Acute hepatitis
- Nephrolithiasis
- RLL pneumonia
What diseases are associated with epigastrium?
- Acute gastritis/GORD
- Gastroparesis
- Peptic ulcer disease/perforation
- Acute pancreatitis
- Mesenteric ischaemia
- AAA (Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm) Aortic dissection
- Myocardial infarction
What diseases are associated with LUQ?
- Peptic ulcer
- Acute pancreatitis
- Splenic abscess
- Splenic infarction
- Nephrolithiasis
- LLL Pneumonia
What diseases are associated with RLQ?
- Acute Appendicitis
- IBD
- Colitis
- Infectious colitis
- Ureteric stone/Pyelonephritis
- PID/Ovarian torsion
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Malignancy
What diseases are associated with suprapubic/ central?
- Early appendicitis
- Mesenteric ischaemia
- Bowel obstruction
- Bowel perforation
- Constipation
- Gastroenteritis
- UTI/Urinary retention
- PID
What diseases are associated with LLQ?
- Diverticulitis
- IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease)
- Colitis
- Infectious colitis
- Ureteric stone/Pyelonephritis
- PID/Ovarian torsion
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Malignancy
Presentation of bowel ischaemia
Sudden onset crampy abdominal pain
Severity of pain depends on the length and thickness of colon affected
Bloody, loose stool (currant jelly stools)
Fever, signs of septic shock
Risk factors for bowel ischaemia
Age >65 yr
Cardiac arrythmias (mainly AF), atherosclerosis
Hypercoagulation/thrombophilia
Vasculitis
Sickle cell disease
Profound shock causing hypotension
What are the 2 types of ischaemic bowel?
Acute mesenteric ischaemia and ischaemic colitis
Differences between acute mesenteric ischaemia and ischaemic colitis
Bowel ischaemia investigations
Bloods
FBC: neutrophilic leukocytosis
VBG: Lactic acidosis
Imaging -CTAP/CTAngiogram
Detects
Disrupted flow
Vascular stenosis
‘Pneumatosis intestinalis’ (transmural ischaemia/infarction)
Ischaemic colitis: Thumbprint sign (unspecific sign of colitis)
Endoscopy
For mild or moderate cases of ischaemic colitis (oedema, cyanosis, ulceration of mucosa)
When is bowel ischaemia managed conservatively?
Mild to moderate cases of ischaemic colitis (not suitable for SB ischaemia)
Conservative management for bowel ischaemia?
Bowel rest
Broad-spectrum ABx - colonic ischaemia can result in bacterial translocation & sepsis
NG tube for decompression - in concurrent ileus
Anticoagulation
Treat/manage underlying cause
Serial abdominal examination and repeat imaging
Indications for surgical management of bowel ischaemia
Small bowel ischaemia
Signs of peritonitis orsepsis
Haemodynamic instability
Massive bleeding
Fulminant colitis with toxic megacolon
Surgical management of bowel ischaemia
Exploratory laparotomy:
-Resection of necrotic bowel +/-open surgicalembolectomy
or mesenteric arterial bypass
Endovascular revascularisation:
-Another technique to try prior to surgery
-Balloon angioplasty/thrombectomy
-In patients without signs of ischaemia
Presentation of acute appendicitis
Initially periumbilical pain that migrates to RLQ (within 24hours)
Anorexia, nausea +/- vomiting, low grade fever, change in bowel habit
Important clinical signs of acute appendicitis
McBurney’s point: tenderness in the RLQ (lateral 1/3 of a hypothetical line drawn from the right ASIS to the umbilicus)
Blumberg sign: rebound tenderness especially in the RIF
Rovsing sign: RLQ pain elicited on deep palpation of the LLQ
Psoas sign: RLQ pain elicited on flexion of right hip against resistance
Obturator sign: RLQ pain on passive internal rotation of the hip with hip & knee flexion