GI Dysfunction - Congenital Health Problemsexam 1 Flashcards
What is important to know about infant GI?
Considerations: anatomical differences
Peristalsis greater
Enzymes deficient until 4-6 months old
Abdominal distention from gas common with infants
Immature liver function at birth
Stomach capacity smaller
What is important to know about children GI?
Considerations: absorption differences
Water balance: infants & children have greater need
Insensible water loss: 2/3 thru skin, ½ respiratory
Body surface area: preemie 5x newborn, newborn 2-3x older child or adult
Kidneys immature at birth-unable to concentrate urine
Infants ingest & excrete greater amount of fluid per kilogram of wt. than older children
what are the 3 functional disorders of the GI?
Acute Diarrhea
Chronic Diarrhea
Vomiting
What do you need to know about Diarrhea?
Acute diarrhea-viral , parasitic or bacterial.
Also known as gastroenteritis.
Sudden increase in consistency or increase in stool frequency.
Can last up to 2 weeks.
Leading cause of illness in children under 5 years old.
Fecal-oral, food or person to person
what is the cause of diarrhea?
Increased intestinal motility and rapid emptying results in impaired absorption of nutrients and excessive excretion of water and electrolytes.
what electrolytes are affected with diarrhea?
Electrolytes most affected are sodium and potassium
what are the most common causes of diarrhea?
Rotavirus
Most common in children 3mo-24 months
Fecal –oral
Salmonella
bacterial
Person to person or under cooked chicken
June-August
Hamsters, turtles, dogs and cats carry it too!!
Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea
Fever
May get septic
shigella
what is the treatment for rotavirus?
Now have oral preventative given with immunizations at 2 months, 4 months and 6 months
what are the symptoms of rotavirus?
Fever
Starts with vomiting and then watery, grassy green foul smelling diarrhea
what are the symptoms of shigella?
Fever, fatigue, anorexia
Crampy abdominal pain preceding watery or bloody diarrhea
what can make diarrheal symptoms worse, when caused by shigella?
anti-diarrheal meds
what is the treatment for diarrhea?
Fix the fluid and electrolyte imbalance-oral or IVF
Small frequent oral rehydration
IVF-Normal Saline or D5W with HCO3 (bicarb)
Avoid carbonated drinks, fruit juice (make it worse, chicken broth (Na+ is low, by putting a lot of heavy Na+ will make them sicker)
Resume regular diet after rehydration
What do you need to know for frequent oral rehydration for diarrhea?
10 ml/kg for each stool or 40-50 ml/kg every 4 hours
What is important to know about vomiting?
Forceful ejection of gastric contents through mouth.
Common in children; usually self-limiting
Requires no specific treatment unless complications occur (dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, aspiration)
Vomiting may be an associated symptom with?
Infectious disease
Increased intracranial pressure
Toxic ingestion (secondary injury, they have it in their system and in their lungs)
Food intolerance and allergy
Mechanical obstruction of GI tract
Metabolic disorder
