GI Flashcards
What is IBS?
Who does it tend to affect?
- A functional disorder –> no organic cause causing symptoms
- Affects 20% population. F>M. Commoner in young adults.
What presentation should make you think of IBS?
->6 months of abdo pain, change in bowel habit, bloating.
ABC
What are the NICE criteria for diagnosing IBS?
Abdominal pain relieved w defecation AND altered stool form/frequency e.g constipation or diarrhoea.
AND two of
- Bloating –> F>M
- Mucous PR
- Altered stool passage –> urgency, straining
- Pain worse after eating
What are the investigations for IBS?
- Exclude alternatives
- Bloods –> FBC, CRP, ESR normal
- Faecal calprotectin –> r/o IBD
- Negative coeliac serology e.g anti TTG Ab
- No suspicion of cancer, or when is r/o
What are the red flags for Ca shouldn’t ignore in IBS?
- Weight loss
- Onset after >60
- Rectal bleeding
- FH bowel or ovarian Ca
What is the conservative management for IBS?
- Good fluid intake
- Small regular meals
- Limit caffiene and alcohol intake w <3 cups
- Low FODMAP diet
What is the medical Tx options for IBS?
1st line - according to predominant symptom
- Anti spasmodic –> hyoscine butylbromide –> buscopan
- If diarrhoea –> loperamide
- If constipation –> laxative. Not lactulose as increases constipation.
2nd line for constipation
-Linaclotide –> specific for IBS. When symptoms not improving on max conventional lactulose and constipation >12 months.
2nd line general
-TCA –> amitriptylline –> 5-10mg at night
3rd line
-SSRI
Other
-Psychological therapy –> CBT –> symptoms not improving after 12 months, refractory IBS
What is appendicitis?
Who does it most commonly affect?
- Inflamm of the vermiform (worm shaped tube) from caecum.
- Commonly caused by constipation
- Obstruction by faecolith (hardened stool mass) –> bacterial overgrowth and infection
- Obstruction –> increase pressure, ischaemia, perforation
- Most common cause of acute abdo needing surgery
- Lifetime risk of 1 in 15
-F>M, 10-20 years old
What is the typical presentation of appendicitis?
What is a child unable to do?
- Periumbilical pain migrating to RIF over 24-48 hours. Migration one of strongest indicators.
- Anorexia - not hungry
- Nausea. Possible 1-2 episodes of vomiting but not persistent.
- Mild fever 37.5-38.
- Pain worse on coughing, speed bumps.
- Perforation –> peritonitis –> guarding, rebound tenderness
-Child unable to hop on one leg due to pain.
What are some of the signs for appendicitis on examination?
- Psoas –> pain on extension of the hip - positive in retrocaecal appendix which can present atypically
- Obturator/cope –> pain on flexion and internal rotation of hip
- Possible rovsings
What are the investigations in appendicitis?
- Bloods –> raised inflamm markers e.g CRP, ESR, WBC. Possible neurophil leukocytosis 80-90%.
- Urinanalysis –> r/o pregnant, renal colic, UTI. Can show leukocytes but not nitrites.
- Possible US –> in F to r/o ovarian pathology
- CT abdo pelvis –> commonly used in US to diagnosis but not here
- Clinical diagnosis –> based upon Hx and Ex
What is the management for appendicitis?
- Laproscopic appendictomy. In pregnancy open.
- Ab –> before surgery and after. And in perforation. Broad spectrum w g-ve and +ve –> coamoxiclav
- Perforation 15-20% –> abdominal lavage
- Cases can resolve w IV Ab but high risk recurrence so remove.
What are haemorrhoids?
- Symptomatic, enlarged anal vascular cushions (not just dilated veins)
- These anal cushions –> contain AV channels where superior rectal artery and vein join –> at 7, 11, 3 o clock
- RF –> middle age, constipation w straining, pregnancy
What are the types of haemorrhoids and grading?
- Internal –> above dentate line, not generally painful
- external –> below dentate line, prone thrombosis, painful
Grading of internal 0- Never prolapsed 1 - Prolapse w spontaneous reduction 2 - Prolapse w manual reduction 3 - Irreducible
What are the symptoms of haemorrhoids?
- Bright red rectal bleeding - blood on wiping.
- Usually painless. can be painful when thrombosed
- Itchy, possible PR mucous
- Anaemia
- R/o weight loss, change in bowel habit