General Surgery in the Gastrointestinal Tract Flashcards
What is the general approach when a patient initially presents with acute abdominal pain?
- Pain assessment
- PMH
- DHx
- SHx
- investigations
- management
What are the different possible investigations when someone presents with acute abdominal pain?
- bloods
- urinalysis
- imaging
- endoscopy
What are the different possible bloods when someone presents with acute abdominal pain?
- VBG
- FBC
- CRP
- U+Es
- LFTs
- Amylase
What is the different possible imaging when someone presents with acute abdominal pain?
- erect CXR
- AXR
- CTAP
- CT angiogram
- USS
What are the different possible forms of management when someone presents with acute abdominal pain?
- ABCDE approach
- Conservative management
- Surgical management
What are the possible differential diagnosis for Right Upper Quadrant pain?
- Bilary Colic
- Cholecystitis/Cholangitis
- Duodenal Ulcer
- Liver abscess
- Portal vein thrombosis
- Acute hepatitis
- Nephrolithiasis
- RLL pneumonia
What are the possible differential diagnosis for Right Lower Quadrant pain?
- Acute Appendicitis
- Colitis
- IBD
- Infectious colitis
- Ureteric stone/Pyelonephritis
- PID/Ovarian torsion
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Malignancy
What are the possible differential diagnosis for Epigastric pain?
- Acute gastritis/GORD
- Gastroparesis
- Peptic ulcer disease/perforation
- Acute pancreatitis
- Mesenteric ischaemia
- AAA (Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm)
- Aortic dissection
- Myocardial infarction
What are the possible differential diagnosis for Suprapubic/Central pain?
- Early appendicitis
- Mesenteric ischaemia
- Bowel obstruction
- Bowel perforation
- Constipation
- Gastroenteritis
- UTI/Urinary retention
- PID
What are the possible differential diagnosis for Left Upper Quadrant pain?
- Peptic ulcer
- Acute pancreatitis
- Splenic abscess
- Splenic infarction
- Nephrolithiasis
- LLL Pneumonia
What are the possible differential diagnosis for Left Lower Quadrant pain?
- Diverticulitis
- Colitis
- IBD
- Infectious colitis
- Ureteric stone/Pyelonephritis
- PID/Ovarian torsion
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Malignancy
How does bowel ischaemia present?
- 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 of bowel ischaemia?
- Age >65 yr
- Cardiac arrythmias (mainly AF), atherosclerosis
- Hypercoagulation/thrombophilia
- Vasculitis
- Sickle cell disease
- Profound shock causing hypotension
Which part of the bowel tends to be affected by acute mesenteric ischaemia?
small bowel
Which part of the bowel tends to be affected by ischaemic colitis?
large bowel
What is the onset of acute mesenteric ischaemia?
sudden (presentation and severity varies)
What is the clinical presentation of acute mesenteric ischaemia?
abdominal pain out of proportion of clinical signs
What tends to cause acute mesenteric ischaemia?
occlusive due to thromboemboli
What is the onset of ischaemic colitis?
mild and gradual (80-85% of cases)
What is the clinical presentation of ischaemic colitis?
moderate pain and tenderness
What tends to cause ischaemic colitis?
due to non-occlusive low flow states or atheroscleroiss
What will the bloods show in bowel ischaemia?
FBC - neutrophilic leukocytosis
VBG - lactic acidosis
What imaging should be done if bowel ischaemia is suspected?
- CTAP
- CT angiogram
What can be seen on a CTAP/CT angiogram?
- disrupted flow
- vascular stenosis
- transmural ischaemia/infarction
- thumbprint sign (colitis)
What can be seen on an endoscopy with bowel ischaemia?
- oedema
- cyanosis
- ulceration of mucosa
What is the conservative management for mild/moderate cases of ischaemic colitis?
- IV fluid resuscitation
- Bowel rest
- Broad-spectrum ABx
- NG tube
- Anti-coagulation
- Treat/manage underlying cause
- Serial abdominal examination and imaging
Why is ABx given in ischaemic colitis?
colitis ischaemia can cause bacterial translocation and sepsis
What are the indications for surgical management of bowel ischaemia?
- small bowel ischaemia
- signs of peritonitis or sepsis
- haemodynamic instability
- massive bleeding
- fulminant colitis with toxic megacolon
What are the 2 surgical options for bowel ischaemia?
- exploratory laparotomy
- endovascular revascularisation
What is involved in a exploratory laparotomy?
Resection of necrotic bowel +/-open surgicalembolectomy or mesenteric arterial bypass
What is involved in a endovascular revascularisation?
- Balloon angioplasty/thrombectomy
- In patients without signs of ischaemia
How does acute appendicitis present?
- initially periumbilical pain that migrates to the RLQ (within 24 hours)
- anorexia
- nausea (+/- vomiting)
- low grade fever
- change in bowel habit
Where is McBurney’s point?
tenderness in the RLQ (lateral 1/3 of a hypothetical line drawn from the right ASIS to the umbilicus)
Where is Blumberg point?
rebound tenderness especially in the RIF
Where is Rovsing point?
RLQ pain elicited on deep palpation of the LLQ
Where is Psoas point?
RLQ pain elicited on flexion of right hip against resistance
Where is Obturator point?
RLQ pain on passive internal rotation of the hip with hip & knee flexion
What are the possible investigations for suspected appendicitis?
- bloods
- imaging
- diagnostic laparoscopy
What would the bloods show in acute appendicitis?
- FBC: neutrophilic leukocytosis
- high CRP
- urine: mild pyuria/haematuria
- electrolyte imbalances due to vomiting
What imaging is done in suspected acute appendicitis?
- CT
- USS
- MRI
When is a CT done in suspected acute appendicitis
gold standard in adults (>50)
When is a USS done in suspected acute appendicitis
- children
- pregnancy
- breastfeeding
When is a MRI done in suspected acute appendicitis
in pregnancy if the USS is inconclusive
When would you do a diagnostic laparoscopy?
- in persistent pain
- inconclusive imaging
What is the conservative management plan for acute appendicitis?
- IV fluids
- analgesia
- IV or PO ABx
In abscess: plegmon or sealed perforation - resuscitation
- IV ABx
- +/- percutaneous drainage
What are the indications for conservative management of appendicitis
- After negative imaging in selected patients with clinically uncomplicated appendicitis
- In delayed presentation with abscess/phlegmon formation
(CT-guided drainage)
Why would you consider a interval appendicectomy?
rate of recurrence after conservative management of abscess/perforation is 12-24%
Why is a laparoscopic appendicectomy preferred over open?
- less pain
- low risk of site infection
- reduced length of hospital stay
- earlier return to work
- overall costs
- better QOL
What are the steps of a laparoscopic addendicectomy?
1 - Trocar placement (usually 3)
2 - Exploration of RIF & identification of appendix
3 - Elevation of appendix + division of mesoappendix (containing artery)
4 - Based secured with endoloops and appendix is divided
5 - Retrieval of appendix with a plastic retrieval bag
6 - Careful inspection of the rest of the pelvic organs/intestines
7 - Pelvic irrigation (wash out) + Haemostasis
8 - Removal of trocars + wound closure
What is an intestinal obstruction?
restriction of the normal passage of intestinal contents
What are the 2 main types of intestinal obstructions?
- paralytic (adynamic) ileus
- mechanical obstruction
What are the possible speeds of onset of a mechanical bowel obstruction?
- acute
- chronic
- acute on chronic
What are the possible sites of a mechanical bowel obstruction?
- high or low
- dependent on either large or small bowel obstruction
What are the 2 different types of mechanical bowel obstruction?
- simple
- strangulating
What happens in a simple mechanical bowel obstruction?
bowel is occluded without damage to blood supply
What happens in a strangulating mechanical bowel obstruction?
blood supply of the involved segment of intestine is cut off