General Surgery in GI tract Flashcards
When checking for acute abdomen, how do you take a pain assessment and what else do you checkl
SOCRATES:
Site
Onset
Character
Radiation
Association
Time course
Exacerbating/Relieving factors
Severity
PMH
DH
SH
What are investigations for acute abdomen
Bloods: VBG, FBC, CRP, U&Es (renal profile), LFTs +amylase
Urinalysis + Urine MC&S
Imaging: Erect CXR, AXR, CTAP, CT angiogram, USS
Endoscopy
What is the management for acute abdomen
ABCDE approach
Conservative management
Surgical management
What is the 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
What are the risk factors for bowel ischaemia?
Age >65 yr
Cardiac arrythmias (mainly AF), atherosclerosis
Hypercoagulation/thrombophilia
Vasculitis
Sickle cell disease
Profound shock causing hypotension
What is the difference between acute mesenteric ischaemia and ischaemic colitis
Acute/colitis
Small bowel
Occlusive due to thromboemboli / non-occlusive local flow states, or atherosclerosis
Sudden onset
Abdominal pain out of proportion of clinical signs/ moderate and tenderness
What investigations can you do for bowel ischaemia
Bloods
Imaging - CTAP/ CT Angiogram
Endoscopy
What are you checking for in bloods for bowel ischaemia
FBC: neutrophilic leukocytosis
VBG: Lactic acidosis (late sign so bowel already dead)
What are you trying to detect in imaging for bowel ischaemia
Disrupted flow
Vascular stenosis
‘Pneumatosis intestinalis’ (transmural ischaemia/infarction)
Ischaemic colitis: Thumbprint sign (unspecific sign of colitis)
What is the purpose of endoscopy in bowel ischaemia
For mild or moderate cases of ischaemic colitis (oedema, cyanosis, ulceration of mucosa)
What does the conservative management of bowel ischaemia in mild to moderate cases of ischaemic colitis (not SB ischaemia)
IV fluid resuscitation
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
What are the indications of bowel ischaemia in surgical management
Small bowel ischaemia
Signs of peritonitis orsepsis
Haemodynamic instability
Massive bleeding
Fulminant colitis with toxic megacolon
What do you do in surgical management for bowel ischaemia
Exploratory laparotomy:
-Resection of necrotic bowel +/-open surgicalembolectomy
or mesenteric arterial bypass
Endovascular revascularisation:
-Balloon angioplasty/thrombectomy
-In patients without signs of ischaemia
How is acute appendicitis presented and what are the clinical signs
Initially periumbilical pain that migrates to RLQ (within 24hours)
Anorexia, nausea +/- vomiting, low grade fever, change in bowel habit
Important clinical signs:
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
What are the investigations for acute appendicitis
Bloods
Imaging
Diagnostic laparoscopy
What do bloods show with acute appendicitis
FBC: neutrophilic leukocytosis
↑ed CRP
Urinalysis: possible mild pyuria/haematuria
Electrolyte imbalances in profound vomiting
Wha are type of imagining for investigating acute appendicitis
CT: gold standard in adults esp. if age > 50
USS: children/pregnancy/breastfeeding
MRI: in pregnancy if USS inconclusive
What is the purpose of diagnostic laparoscopy
If it is hard to tell and there is persistent pain and inconclusive imagining