GI concerns/Abdominal Pain Flashcards
Review normal anatomic and physiologic changes of the GI system
Gastric compression by gravid uterus
Increased serum progesterone → decreased lower esophageal sphincter tone, gastric acid secretion, bile and small bowel motility
Physiologic nausea and vomiting of pregnancy
List the physiologic causes of abdominal pain
Without other symptoms or signs can be due to an enlarging uterus, fetal pressure against adjacent organs, and Braxton-Hicks uterine contractions
Pain is generally in the quadrant where the affected organ is located
Differential diagnosis: common discomforts vs serious diagnosis
Pain intensity, nature, temporal pattern, radiation, exacerbating factors, and alleviating factors help narrow the differential dx
Common Discomforts
- Round ligament pain
- Nausea
- Fetal position or movement
- Acid reflux
- Braxton hicks
- Constipation
Serious Diagnosis
- Celiac disease
- Acute Fatty Liver of Pregnancy
- Appendicitis
- Pancreatitis
- Cholecystitis
- Peptic Ulcer disease
Red flag symptoms
- Moderate or severe pain associated with other symptoms (N/V, vaginal bleeding, HA)
- Fever greater than 100.5°
- N/V after 20 weeks
- Hematemesis
- Bloody diarrhea
- Jaundice
Discuss the management approach (work up) to pain
- Lab work - keep in mind normal pregnancy changes
- CBC with DIFF
- WBCs of 10 - 14K normal → diff helpful
- LFTs
- ALP normally elevated
- AST/ALT usually stay the same
- BMP
- Low Na+ (129 - 143) normal
- Amylase/Lipase
- Lipase more sensitive, stays higher longer
- Both usually dont change during pregnancy
- UA
- CBC with DIFF
- Imaging
- Ultrasound - preferred due to safety, not always best method
- MRI - safe, avoid contrast (but no evidence of teratogenicity)
- CT - only if life threatening
- Collaboration
Celiac disease
Definition, signs, and symtoms
- Autoimmune disorder in that attacks gut
- Ingestion wheat, rye, barley → chronic inflammation of small intestine → shrink villi → malabsorbtion
- Genetic component
- 1% of population
- Can walk around with it for years without knowing
- Symptoms
- Cramping
- Gas
- Wt loss
- Nausea
- Pale stools
- Diarrhea
- Malabsorption
- Dermatitis Herpetiformis - very itchy, often on joints (elbows/knees)
- 25% of people w/celiac
Celiac Disease
Diagnosis and treatment
- Best to do testing before starting gluten free diet
-
Diagnosis (does not need to be us, can’t hurt to refer to GI)
- IgA tTg - low cost, serum test of choice
- *Small bowel biopsy* - gold standard, looks for atrophic villi
- Skin biopsy for dermatitis herpetiformis
- Genetic testing
- 99% of celiac have HLA DQ2, DQ8 or both
-
Treatment
- Gluten free diet
- Dermatitis Herpetiformis: Dapsone (benefit outweighs risk. Use smallest amount for shortest amount of time possible)
Celiac Disease
Effects on pregnancy and effects of pregnancy on CD
- Increased risk for:
- Miscarriage
- IUGR
- LBW
- Preterm delivery
- Referral
- Educate
- Hidden sources of gluten, reading labels. “Modified food starch”
- Monitor
- Risk for anemia due to malabsorption, weight gain, higher rates of depression
Acute Fatty Liver
Discuss incidence and signs and symptoms
- Rare, serious, specific to pregnancy.
- 1 in 10,000
- More common in primipara, multiple gestation, 3rd tri
- Accumulation of Microvesicular fat → takes over liver and prevents it from doing its job
- Signs/symptoms
- Nausea/vomiting
- Malaise
- Anorexia
- Epigastric pain
- Progressive jaundice
- Signs suggestive of Preeclampsia
- can be misdiagnosed or have both
Acute Fatty Liver
Diagnosis and treatment
- Diagnosis
- Lab values
- CBC
- LFTs
- Creatinine
- Coagulation studies
- Fibrinogen < 200 concerning
- Hypoglycemia*
- *helps distinguish from other issues*
- Imaging
- Liver biopsy
- Lab values
- Treatment
- DELIVERY
- ICU
- Many also have pancreatitis
- Very sick patients
- REFER
Appendicitis
Signs and symptoms
- Nausea/Vomiting/Anorexia
- RLQ pain (may start periumbilical first)
- Most common presenting sx regardless of pregnancy
- Gradual onset, may radiate to flanks/thighs
- Appendix may migrate upward/laterally due to gravid uterus
- Fever/tachycardia
- Guarding/rebound tenderness
- Dependent based on how hard you push
- Abdominal wall laxity + interposition of the gravid uterus between the appendix and the anterior abdominal wall in late pregnancy may mask the classical signs of peritonitis
Appendicitis
Diagnosis and treatment
- Diagnosis
- Lab work
- Elevated WBCs
- Imaging:
- Ultrasound
- MRI - better at dx
- Lab work
- Treatment
- Appendectomy
- Safer during 2nd tri, but can do 1st if needed.
- Can be laprascopic during 1st & 2nd, possibly 3rd
- Appendectomy
Appendicitis
Morbidity/mortality related to delay in diagnosis
- Need prompt recognition of emergency
- Delay in diagnosis increases morbidity and mortality for both parent and fetus.
- Perforation associated with higher mortality (esp for fetus)
Cholecystitis
Patho, signs, and symptoms
- 2nd most common surgical case after appendicitis
- Increased estrogen → increased cholesterol crystals and thicker sludgy bile → progesterone slows everything down
- Symptoms
- RUQ or epigastric pain (focal)
- Referred pain to right scapula, shoulder, or back
- Nausea, vomiting
- Fever
- Murphys sign
- Post prandial pain – often ate something fatty/greasy and pain starts after
Cholycystitis
Diagnosis and treatment
- Diagnosis
- Labs - WBC, AST/ALT, ALP elevations suspicious
- CBC
- LFTs
- Imaging
- RUQ ultrasound - very helpful
- Labs - WBC, AST/ALT, ALP elevations suspicious
- Treatment
- Conservative - may lead to more ER visits, earlier induction/Cesarean
- Inpatient management
- Hydration
- Antibiotic therapy
- Surgical Intervention
- Laparoscopic cholecystectomy
- ERCP: endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography
- Conservative - may lead to more ER visits, earlier induction/Cesarean