GI med 1 Flashcards
what are the general steps to obtaining a diagnosis/treatment plan for a GI issue? ie the steps for a GI workup
- get a good hx (incl diet hx)
- what is the primary complaint?
- acute vs chronic?
- PE
- differential list
- consider therapeutic trial vs diagnostic tests
what is the most important part of the GI workup?
good history!
dietary indiscretion is usually ____ and dietary intolerance is usually ___.
acute, chronic
what are some causes of dietary indiscretion?
- recent and sudden diet change
- feeding of table scraps
- free roaming behaviour
- excessive ingestion of hair
- feeing a low-quality poorly digestible diet
usually acute!
what are some causes of dietary intolerance?
- “allergy”
- inability to digest
- difficult digestion
usually chronic, usually no urgency markers
if the patient’s main complaint is dysphagia, then what is most likely the inciting cause?
oral cavity/laryngeal/upper esophageal disease
what is vomiting indicative of?
primary or secondary GI disease
what is regurgitation indicative of?
swallowing of esophageal problems
tell me the difference between SI and LI bowel diarrhea
1. stools
2. mucus
3. blood
4. fat
5. vomiting
6. gas
7. weight loss
SI / LI
- large, no tenesmus, 2-3x/day / small, tenesmus, >3x/day
- no / yes
- melena / fresh
- sometimes / no
- sometimes / not usual
- sometimes / not usual
- often / not usual
true or false: acute signs are sometimes self-limiting
true
true or false: dysphagia and regurgitation disorders are usually separate from other GI disorders and are also more urgent
true
what is the difference b/t primary and secondary GI disease?
primary: causes within the GI system
secondary: causes outside GI diseases affecting GI
what are some ddx for regurgitation?
- esophagitis
- hiatal hernia
- ring anomalies
- neoplasia
- FBs
- megaesophagus
- GERD
- MG
true or false: dental disease is an important cause of GI disease
false!!! it is NOT
true or false: GI ulcers are not common in cats and dogs unless predisposing factor
true
when should you consider a therapeutic trial?
for vomiting, diarrhea, ± anorexia if no GI urgency markers
what are the GI urgency markers? what do they mean?
means you need to do diagnostics!
- unstable pt
- marked or rapid weight loss
- concerning PE findings: ex painful abdomen
- hypoproteinemia
- abdominal effusion
- hypovolemia, hypotension, hypoperfusion
- anorexia if prolonged (>1-2d)
- intractable vomiting
- older age
you have GI symptoms with no GI urgency markers and decide to do a therapeutic trial. your patient has acute vomiting. what are your next steps?
- NPO trial
- GI diet
- ± probiotics
- ± anti-emetic
- ± deworm (fenbendazole, for young animals)
you have GI symptoms with no GI urgency markers and decide to do a therapeutic trial. your patient has acute diarrhea. what are your next steps?
- probiotics
- GI diet
- ± deworm (fenbendazole, for young animals)
you have GI symptoms with no GI urgency markers and decide to do a therapeutic trial. your patient has chronic vomiting. what are your next steps?
- elimination diet
- ± deworm (fenbendazole, for young animals)
- ± probiotics