GI/GU DISEASES Flashcards
CHRON’S DISEASE - DEFINITION
- A type of inflammatory bowel disease
- The condition inflames and irritates the digestive tract – specifically the small and large intestines
- Common to experience periodic disease flare-ups
CHRON’S DISEASE - CAUSE
- No known cause of Chron’s disease
- There are some things can increase a persons risk factors for developing the condition
CHRON’S DISEASE - TYPES
- Ileocolitis
o Inflammation occurs in the small intestine and part of the large intestine, or colon
o The most common type of Chron’s disease - Ileitis
o Swelling and inflammation develop in the small intestine - Gastroduodenal
o Inflammation and irritation affect the stomach and top of the small intestine - Jejunoileitis
o Patchy areas of inflammation develop in the upper half of the small intestine
CHRON’S DISEASE - POPULATION AFFECTED
- People of late teenage years to early 30s
CHRON’S DISEASE - RISK FACTORS
- Autoimmune disease
- Genes – often runs in families
- Smoking
- NSAIDs use
CHRON’S DISEASE - CLINICAL PRESENTATION
- People with Chron’s can experience periods of severe symptoms (flare-ups) followed by periods of no or very mild symptoms (remission)
- Symptoms can range from mild to severe
- Symptoms during a flare-up usually develop gradually and sometimes suddenly, without warning
- Chronic diarrhoea
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Abdominal px and cramping
- Feeling of fullness
- Blood in stool
- Mouth sores
- Reduced appetite
- Weight loss
- Anal fissures
- Anal fistulas
- Rectal bleeding
- People with severe Crohn’s disease may also experience symptoms outside of the intestinal tract
o Inflammation of the skin, eyes and jts
o Inflammation of the liver or bile ducts
o Kidney stones
o Iron deficiency (anaemia)
o Delayed growth or sexual development in children
CHRON’S DISEASE - DIAGNOSIS
- Blood tests
o Checks for high white blood cells and low red blood cells - Stool test
- Colonoscopy
- CT scan
- Upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy
- Upper GI exam
CHRON’S DISEASE - TREATMENT
- Treatment varies depending on what is causing symptoms
- Antibiotics
- Antidiarrheal medication
- Biologics
- Bowel rest
- Corticosteroids
- Immunomodulators
o Azathioprine
o Cyclosporine - Surgery
o Wont cure but can treat symptoms
CHRON’S DISEASE - PREVENTION
- Stop smoking
- Eat a healthy, low fat diet
- Exercise regularly
- Manage stress
CHRON’S DISEASE - PROGNOSIS
- Most people with Chron’s disease enjoy healthy, active lives
- There isn’t a cure but treatments and lifestyle changes can keep the disease in remission and prevent complications
- Treatments and lifestyle changes can help keep the disease in remission and prevent complications
- Lifestyle changes include changing diet
ULCERATIVE COLITIS - DEFINITION
- Belongs to a group of conditions called inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
- Ulcerative colitis causes irritation and ulcers in the large intestine
- The inflammation usually starts at the rectum
- The inflammation can spread and affect a portion of the entire colon
ULCERATIVE COLITIS - CAUSE
- Cause is complex and involves many factors
- Researchers thing it is probably the result of an overactive immune response
ULCERATIVE COLITIS - POPULATION AFFECTED
- Anyone at any age can get ulcerative colitis
- Most common in Jewish people aged 15-30 or over 60
ULCERATIVE COLITIS - RISK FACTORS
- Have a close relative with inflammatory bowel disease
- Are aged between 15 and 30 or over 60
- Are Jewish
- Eat a high-fat diet
- Frequently use NSAIDs
ULCERATIVE COLITIS - CLINICAL PRESENTATION
- Symptoms often get worse over time
- In the beginning the pt may notice
o Diarrhoea or urgent bowel movements
o Abdominal cramping
o Tiredness
o Nausea
o Weight loss
o Anaemia - Later the pt may also experience
o Blood, mucus or pus in bowel movements
o Severe cramping
o Fever
o Skin rashes
o Mouth sores
o Joint pain
o Red, painful eyes
o Liver disease
o Loss of fluids and nutrients
o Delayed or poor growth in children
ULCERATIVE COLITIS - DIAGNOSIS
- Blood tests
o Signs of infection or anaemia - Stool samples
- Imaging tests
o MRI or CT scan - Endoscopic tests
o Colonoscopy
o Sigmoidoscopy
ULCERATIVE COLITIS - TREATMENT
- No cure
- Treatments can calm the inflammation, help the pt feel better and get them back to doing their daily activities
- Treatment depends on the severity of the individuals symptoms
- Goal of medication is to induce and maintain remission as well as improve quality of life
- Aminosalicylates
o For mild to moderate UC
o Sulfasalazine - Corticosteroids
o For severe UC
o Prednisone
o Budesonide - Immunomodulators
o 6-mercaptopurine
o Azathioprine - Biologics
o For moderate to severe UC
o Infilixmab
o Adalimumab - Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors
o Tofacitinib
ULCERATIVE COLITIS - PREVENTION
- What causes UC flare-ups?
o Emotional stress
o NSAID use
o Antibiotics
o Certain foods
Greasy foods
High-sugar foods and drinks
Carbonated beverages
High-fibre foods
Alcohol
ULCERATIVE COLITIS - PROGNOSIS
- Lifelong condition that can have mild to severe symptoms
- No cure
- Can treat the complications rather than the disease
- Around 10% get better after 1 attack
- More likely to have flareups throughout your life
- Some go weeks or years without any symptoms
- The longer the pt goes on without a flare the better their overall health will be
GI DISEASE
- Gastrointestinal diseases affect the GI tract from the mouth to the anus
- There are 2 types: functional and structural
S&S OF GI DISEASE
- Bloating
- Excess gas
- Constipation
- Diarrhoea
- Heart burn
- Nausea and vomiting
- Abdominal px
- Incontinence
- Weight loss
- Blood in stool
- Px
- Difficulty swallowing
- Changes in appetite
GU DISEASE
- Disease relating to the genital and urinary organs.
S&S OF GU DISEASE
- Frequent UTIs
- Pain in pelvic/groin area
- Bladder incontinence
- Pain or discomfort whilst urinating
- Blood in urine
- Bad or strong-smelling urine
- Reduced urine output
- Visually abnormal or malformed genitals
ABDOMINAL PAIN SITES - GENERALISED ABDOMINAL REGION
- Appendicitis
- Crohn’s disease
- Traumatic injury
- IBS
- UTI
- Flu
ABDOMINAL PAIN SITES - LOWER ABDOMEN
- Appendicitis
- Intestinal obstruction
ABDOMINAL PAIN SITES - LOWER ABDOMEN IN FEMALES
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Dysmenorrhea (severe menstrual px)
- Ovarian cysts
- Miscarriage
- Fibroids
- Endometriosis
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
ABDOMINAL PAIN SITES - UPPER ABDOMEN
- Gallstones
- Heart attack
- Hepatitis
- Pneumonia
ABDOMINAL PAIN SITES - CENTRAL ABDOMEN
- Appendicitis
- Gastroenteritis
- Injury
- Uraemia (build-up of waste products in the blood)
ABDOMINAL PAIN SITES - LOWER LEFT ABDOMEN
- Crohn’s disease
- Cancer
- Kidney infection
- Ovarian cysts
- Appendicitis
ABDOMINAL PAIN SITES - UPPER LEFT ABDOMEN
- Enlarged spleen
- Faecal impaction (hardened stool that can’t be eliminated)
- Injury
- Kidney infection
- Heart attack
- Cancer
ABDOMINAL PAIN SITES - LOWER RIGHT ABDOMEN
- Appendicitis
- Hernia
- Kidney infection
- Cancer
- Flu
ABDOMINAL PAIN SITES - UPPER RIGHT ABDOMEN
- Hepatitis
- Injury
- Pneumonia
- Appendicitis
ABDOMINAL PAIN - SPEED OF ONSET - SUDDEN
- Occurs within a second
- Patient will relate the time of onset at a precise moment, usually stating exactly what activity was going on at the time the pain began
- Commonly associated with
- Perforation of the gastrointestinal tract from a gastric or duodenal ulcer
- A colonic diverticulum
- Foreign body
- Ruptured eptopic pregnancy
- Mesenteric infraction
- Ruptured aortic aneurysm
- Embolism of an abdominal vessel
ABDOMINAL PAIN - SPEED OF ONSET - RAPID
- Begins with a few seconds and increases in severity over the next several minutes
- Patient will recall the time of onset in general but without the precision noted in pain of sudden onset
- Associated with
- Cholecystitis
- Pancreitis
- Intestinal obstruction
- Diverticulitis
- Appendicitis
- Ureteral stone
- Penetrating gastric or duodenal ulcer
ABDOMINAL PAIN - SPEED OF ONSET - GRADUAL
- Pain that comes on slowly and becomes more severe after a number of hours or even days have elapsed
- Patient memory as to the time of onset of the pain is vague; they can only pinpoint the day or maybe the week of onset
- Generally associated with
- Neoplasms
- Chronic inflammatory processes
- Large bowel obstructions
ABDOMINAL PAIN - ASSOCIATED FEATURES
- Symptoms that accompany abdominal px are important in making an accurate diagnosis
- Some of the most important symptoms are
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Abdominal distention
- Diarrhoea
- Constipation
- Obstipation
- Tarry stools
- Chills
- Fever
- Urinating frequently
- Haematuria
- Jaundice
GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE (GORD) - DEFINITION
- Occurs when the acid from the stomach leaks up into the oesophagus
GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE (GORD) - CAUSE
- Caused by frequent acid reflux or reflux of nonacidic content of the stomach
GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE (GORD) - POPULATION AFFECTED
- Younger adults and teenagers
GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE (GORD) - RISK FACTORS
- Obesity
- Hiatal hernia
- Pregnancy
- Connective tissue disorders, such as scleroderma
- Delayed stomach emptying
GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE (GORD) - CLINICAL PRESENTATION
- Heart burn
- Usually after eating, which might be worse at night or while lying down
- Regurgitation of food or sour liquid
- Backwash
- Upper abdominal or chest px
- Dysphagia (trouble swallowing)
- Sensation of a lump in your throat
- If you have nighttime acid reflux other symptoms may be
- An ongoing cough
- Laryngitis (Inflammation of the vocal cords)
- New or worsening asthma
PEPTIC ULCER DISEASE - DEFINITION
- Peptic ulcers are sores that develop on the inside lining of your stomach and the upper portion of your small intestine
PEPTIC ULCER DISEASE - CAUSE
- Occur when the acid in the digestive tract eats away at the inner surface of the stomach or small intestine
PEPTIC ULCER DISEASE - POPULATION AFFECTED
- Gastric ulcers - Tend to occur later in life, after 60, and affect more women than men
- Duodenal ulcers - Tend to appear between 30 and 50 and affect more men than women
PEPTIC ULCER DISEASE - RISK FACTORS
- These won’t cause stomach ulcers but they may make them worse and more difficult to heal
- Smoking
- Drinking alcohol
- Have untreated stress
- Eat spicy foods
PEPTIC ULCER DISEASE - CLINICAL PRESENTATION
- Burning stomach px
- Feeling of fullness, bloating or belching
- Intolerance to fatty foods
- Heartburn
- Nausea
- Many people with peptic ulcers don’t have any symptoms
- But sometimes people may experience severe symptoms, such as
- Vomiting or vomiting blood – which appear red or black
- Dark blood in stools, or stools that are black or tarry
- Trouble breathing
- Feeling faint
- Nausea and vomiting
- Unexplained weight loss
- Appetite changes
DIVERTICULAR DISEASE - DEFINITION
- Diverticula are small, bulging pouches that can form in the lining of the digestive system
DIVERTICULAR DISEASE - CAUSE
- Diverticula usually develop when naturally weak placed in your colon give way under pressure
- This causes marble-sized pouches to protrude through the colon wall
- Diverticulitis occurs when diverticula tear, resulting in inflammation and in some cases infection
DIVERTICULAR DISEASE - POPULATION AFFECTED
- Over 40s
DIVERTICULAR DISEASE - RISK FACTORS
- Aging
- Obesity
- Smoking
- Lack of exercise
- Diet high in animal fat and low in fibre
- Certain medications