GIT Revision Flashcards
Looking for leukonychia in the hands on a GIT examination should be included. What is leukonychia?
- white lines or dots appear on your finger or toenails
- sign of liver disease

Looking for koilonychia in the hands on a GIT examination should be included. What is koilonychia?
- finger nails appear scooped up like a spoon
- common in iron deficiency

Looking for dupuytren’s contractures in the hands on a GIT examination should be included. What is dupuytren’s contractures?
- 1 or more fingers bend in towards your palm
- may be due to excessive alcohol

What is a stoma and what are the 2 types of stomas?
- an opening of the abdomen
- colostomy and ileostomy

Of the 9 areas of palpation on the abdomen, what are the top 3 from left to right?
- left hypochondriac
- epigastric
- left hypochondriac

Of the 9 areas of palpation on the abdomen, what are the middle 3 from left to right?
- left lumber
- umbilicus
- right lumbar

Of the 9 areas of palpation on the abdomen, what are the lower 3 from left to right?
- left inguinal
- hypogastric
- right inguinal
In the gastrointestinal examination we need to be able to look for an acute abdomen, what are the 3 things we need to look for?
1 - guarding
2 - rigidity
3 - rebound tenderness (pain when removing the hand)
What is splenomegaly and hepatomegaly?
- enlerged spleen and liver
In a normal healthy patient where would we expect to find the liver when feeling and percussing?
- upper border is 5th rib
- lower border is 10th rib

There are 2 signs of GIT disorders in the legs, one is called pyoderma gangrenosum, what is this?
- inflammatory skin disorder
- causes small, red bumps or blisters (papules or nodules) that eventually erode to form swollen open sores (ulcerations)
- can be caused by crohns disease

There are 2 signs of GIT disorders in the legs, one is called erythema nodosum, what is this?
- painful red nodules (or lesions) that most often develop on the arms or lower legs
- common in ulcerative colitis

How do we calculate BMI?
- weight (kg) / height (m)2
- me as an example: 80kg/1.86m2 = BMI of 23kgm2
According to NICE what are the cut offs for the different categories of BMI?
- healthy weight = BMI of 18.5-24.9 kg/m2
- overweight = BMI of 25-29.9 kg/m2
- obesity l = BMI of 30-34.9 kg/m2
- obesity ll = BMI of 35-39.9 kg/m2
- obesity lll = BMI of 40 kg/m2
What is the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) score used for?
- to determine if a patient is malnourished
- score of _>_2 means patients need treating
In order to create a Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) score what is needed from the patient?
- BMI
- any unplanned weight loss (last 3-6 months)
- if patient is acutely ill

In order to create a Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) score the patients BMI is needed, however, what can also be used to estimate BMI if normal BMI cannot be calculated?
- mid upper arm circumference
What is coeliac disease?
- autoimmune condition
- immune system attacks its own tissue when gluten is eaten
How common is coeliac disease?
- affects 1% of the population
What are the 3 main dietery components that commonly trigger coeliac disease?
- wheat, barley, rye and contaminated oats
Does coeliac disease affect the whole bowel?
- no
- small intestines only
What are the most common symptoms of coeliac disease?
- anaemia (B12, folate or iron)
- abdominal symptoms
- dermatitis herpetiformis (itchy blisters and raised red skin lesions)
To help diagnose patients with coeliac disease, you can screen them for antibodies. What antibodies can be screened for?
- anti tissue transglutaminase (TTG)
- anti-gliadin (main protein in gluten that causes the problem)
- anti-endomysial (connective tissue around smooth muscle in GIT)
When taking a biopsy from a patient with coeliac disease, which is the gold standard for diagnosis, what would we expect to see on biopsy?
- flattened villi in small intestines
- hyperplasia of crypts
- raised lymphocytes




















