GI Disorders Flashcards
Can you survive without a stomach?
Yes
Can you survive without a small bowel?
No
How many cm of combined jejunum and ileum do you need to achieve nutritional autonomy if there is no colon?
200cm
How many cm of duodenum do you need to achieve nutritional autonomy if there is colon incontinuity?
100-150cm
What is the definition of short bowel syndrome?
A symptom complex which occurs in adults who has < 200 cm of combined jejunum and ileum
What physiological problems might you expect in patients with short bowel syndrome?
Malnutrition
Malabsorption
Weight loss
Diarrhoea
Dehydration
Can you survive without a large bowel?
Yes
What does bright red bleeding indicate?
Bleeding which is low in the colon or rectum
What does darker red bleeding per rectum indicate?
A GI bleed which lies higher up in the GI system
What is Melena?
Dark, tar like stool which indicates bleeding in the stomach
What investigations can be done to identify a GI bleed?
OGD and colonoscopy
CT angiogram
What might a OGDoscopy show?
Duodenal ulcer which is bleeding
If the OGD shows too much blood, what does this indicate about the bleed?
The bleeding source is in the Upper GI tract
If endoscopic measures fail to show the location of the bleed, what investigation should be done instead?
CT angiogram
What is the treatment for a GI bleed?
Embolism of the bleed
What treatment should be performed if embolism is unsuccessful?
Surgery to remove the bleed
Which part of the GI system should you avoid embolising and why?
The large bowel as there is already not a very large blood supply- could cause ischaemia
What is meant by cockily abdominal pain?
Pain in the abdomen which is associated with cramping pains, can come without warning and be quite intense
What might a patient with a GI bleed present with?
Colicky pain, massive bright red bleeding per rectum, cold and clammy to touch, high heart rate and low blood pressure
What is angiodysplasia?
Angiodysplasia of the colon is swollen, fragile blood vessels in the colon. This can result in blood loss from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
What is Meckel’s Diverticulum?
small pouch / ulcer in the wall of the intestine, near the junction of the small and large intestines, which can rupture and cause sereve GI bleeding
What are haemorrhoids?
Swollen veins in the lower rectum, which can bleed
