GORD Flashcards
Tell me what you can about mr Mueller?
- Belongs to private club where he drinks with clients- maybe he overdrinks
- finding it difficult to sleep, hence his girlfriend gave him a book on sleep solution
- he struggles to stop smoking
- his diet consists of takeaway
- his job is quite stressful; as he takes a lot of coffee a day but he has been promoted.
What is the length of the oesophagus ? What is the function?
25cm.
it acts as a conduit for food (water and mucus) from pharynx into stomach
What is the origin and end of the oesophagus ?
It originates at the inferior border of the cricoid cartilage (C6).
it ends at the cardiac orifice of the stomach (T11)
At the origin of the oesophagus, what is it continuous supeirorly with?
It is continuously superiority with the laryngeal part of the pharynx ( the laryngopharynx )
What portion of the thorax does the oesophagus enter? Where is the Oesophagus positioned in the thorax
It descends downwards into the superior mediastinum of the thorax.
It is positioned between the trachea and the vertebral bodies of T1 to T4.
How does the oesophagus enter the abdomn
Via the oesophageal hiatus (an opening in the right crus of the diaphragm) at T10
What is the length of the abdominal portion of the Oesophagus?
1.25 cm
What are the layers of the oesophagus
Adventitia / serosa
muscularis externa
submucosa
mucosa
What is Adventitia ? What part of the Oesophagus has serosa instead of Adventitia
Adventitia - outer layer of connective tissue.
it is the very distal and intraperitoneal part of the Oesophagus that has serosa instead of Adventitia.
What are the layers of the muscularis externae and how do they differ in muscle type as you go down the Oesophagus
Outer longitudinal and inner circular .
Superior third of Oesophagus = voluntary striated muscle.
middle third - voluntary striated and smooth muscle.
inferior third - smooth muscle
What does the mucosa of the Oesophagus contain
Non- keratinised stratified squamous epithelium ( it is continuous with columnar epithelium of the stomach)
lamina propria .
muscularis mucosa.
How is food transported down through Oesophagus ?
Peristalsis- a rhythmic contractions of the muscles, which propagates down the Oesophagus.
What can hardening of the muscular layers of Oesophagus lead to?
It can interfere with peristalsis and cause difficulty in swallowing (dysphagia)
What are the oesophageal sphincters and their respective functions?
Upper and lower.
They act to prevent entry of air (upper) and reflux of gastric contents (lower)
What are the features and functions of the upper oesophageal sphincters.
It is an anatomical, striated muscle sphincter at the junction between the pharynx and Oesophagus.
It is produced by the cricopharyngeus muscle.
Under normal conditions it is constricted to prevent entry of air into the Oesophagus
What are the features of the lower oesophageal sphincters?
Physiological (functional ) sphincter located in gastro-oesophageal junction. The junction is situated to the left of the T11 vertebra.
The sphincter does not have any specific sphincteric muscle
Where the location of the gastro-oesophageal junction and what marks it?
Situated at the left of the T11 vertebra.
Marked by change from oesophageal (stratified) to gastric mucosa (columnar epithelium)
What are the 4 phenomena which forms the Lower oesophageal sphincter?
- The oesophagus enters stomach at an acute angle
- The walls of the intra-abdominal section of the oesophagus are compressed when there is a positive intra-abdominal pressure.
- The folds of mucosa present aid in occluding the lumen at the gastro-oesophageal junction.
- The right crus of the diaphragm has a “pinch-cock” effect.
What situaitons are the sphincters relaxed or constricted?
It is relaxed during oesophageal peristalsis to allow food to enter stomach.
Otherwise it is constricted- what are the 2 functions?
what is barretts oesophagus?
metaplasia (from stratified squamous to columnar epithelium) of lower oesophageal squamous epithelium
What causes barretts oesophagus?
It is usually caused by chronic acid exposure as a result of a malfunctioning lower oepshageal sphincter.
The acid irritates the oesophageal epithelium, leading to a metaplastic change
What is the most common symptoms for Barretts oesophagus ?
How can it be detected ?
Symptoms- long-term burning sensation of indigestion
it can be detected via endoscopy of the oesophagus (OGD). Patients who are found to have it will be monitored for any cancerous changes.
What is the prevalence of oesophageal carcinomas
Around 2% of malignancies in the uk are oesophageal carcinomas.
What are the clinical features of oesophageal carcinomas ?
Dysphagia- it becomes progressively worse over time as tumour increases in size, restricting the passage of food.
Weight loss.
What are the 2 major types of oesophageal carcinomas. Give features
Squamous cell carcinoma - most common subtype of oesophageal cancer. It can occur at any level of the oesophagus.
Adenocarcinoma- occurs in lower 1/3 of Oesophagus. Associated with Barrett’s Oesophagus. It usually originates in the metaplastic epithelium of Barretts Oesophagus
What 2 circulations does the abdominal Oesophagus drain into?
Systemic and portal circulation. Hence theres an anastomoses between the 2
What are oesophageal varices? And how does it normally occur?
They are abnormally dilated sub-mucosal veins (in walls of Oesophagus) that lie within this anastomosis.
They are usually produced when the pressure in the portal system increases beyond normal - portal hypertension
How does portal hypertension normally arise?q
It occurs (most commonly) secondary to chronic liver disease, such as cirrhosis or obstruction in the portal vein.
What group are at a high risk of developing oesophageal varices?
What does patients with varices commonly present with ?
Alcoholics.
they commonly present with haematemesis (vomiting of blood) ; the varices are pre-disposed to bleeding.
What do the anatomical relations of the oesophagus give rise to? Give its significance ?
The anatomical relations give rise to 4 physiological constrictions in it’s lumen.
It is these areas where food/foreign objects are most likely to become stuck .
What are the 4 physiological constrictions of Oesophagus anatomical relations - where food is likely to be stuck
- A- Arch of aorta
- B- Bronchus (left main stem)
- C- Cricoid cartilage
- D- Diaphragmatic hiatus
Below is a table of some anatomical relations of Oesophagus . Complete them
What is reflux ?
This is when some of the acidic stomach contents come back up the oesophagus towards the mouth.
It can also be called acid-reflux or GORD
When reflux occurs , what does the person feel and where can it be felt?
The person can feel heart burn- a burning sensation in the chest because of the acid in the stomach.
The pain is felt in the chest behind the breastbone and it may move up towards the throat.
Apart form heartburn, what other symptoms may be felt by someone with reflux?
Unpleasant taste in mouth .
swallowing problems.
Descirbe the treatment actions for someone with reflux
The GP should offer a course of PPI (proton pump inhibitor) for a course of 4-8 weeks. This depends on severity of the reflux and how quickly your symptoms respond.
What is the course of action for reflux if you stopped taking the PPI? (After course of treatment has finished then symptoms persist)
The GP should offer the PPI at the lowest dose possible to control symptoms. They should discuss taking it only when you need it to help your symptoms.
For reflux, what occurs if the PPI doesnt work? I.e. doesnt help at all.
The GP may offfer another medicine called a H2 blocker.
What is severe oesophagitis and what should the doctor prescribe if this occurs?
Oesophagitis occurs if reflux has caused severe irritation and inflammation of the Oesophagus.
The doctor should offer PPI course for 8 weeks
What is the next course of action if the symptoms (oesophagitis) come back after you’ve stopped taking the PPI?
The GP should offer a higher dose or treatment with a different PPI. You may need to take the treatment for a long time to control the symptoms
For Oesophagitis, what is the course of action if the PPI does NOT work ?
Doctor should do a systematic review of :
- symptoms
- lifestyle
- treatment.
The doctor may offer a different PPI or may wish to get a specialist advice (from a gastroenterologist)
What demographic of people is surgery approximate for? (Reflux or oesophgiis)
- People who do not want to take medication for a long term.
- Those who ave unpleasant side effects from their medication
What is the mos common type of surgery for reflux and describe what it entails
Laparoscopic fundoplication.
This is a key-hole surgery where the surgeon folds the top of the stomach (fundus) around the lower end of esopahgus and stitch it in place.
This occurs just below where the oesophagus meets the stomach ( a small opening is created).
This strengthens the LOS and can also repair hiatus hernia.
The aim of this is to reduce the amount of stomach contents re-entering the oesophagus
Should you keep taking antacids regularly for long periods of time? Give reasoning for your answer.
No, they may help with symptoms in the short - term but they won’t cure the problem
In what way should doctors speak to help improve patients understanding?
Speak slowly, avoid jargon and repeat points.
The doctor should first establish what the patient knows and understands before launching into a discussion that begins at a level too complex or simple for the patient.
The overall aim is to ensure that they are communicating complex information in a clear and manageable way.
According to Gillian rowlands; what % of England’s working age population struggled to understand health information that contained only text?
43%
Which demographics faced most difficulties in understanding health info by texts
- Older people
- black and ethnic minority groups
- those with low qualification
- those wihtout englsih as first language
- those with low job status
- those in poverty trap
What can poor skills in understanding and using health informaiton lead to?
They could leave patient at a higher risk of emergency admission to hospital and of serious health conditons.
In what ways does doctors use familiar words in unfamiliar ways?
Doctors may use the word chronic -meaning persistent. However, the patient may think it means severe.
the patient may not fully understand the meaning of the word or may be unfamiliar
What is dyspepsia?
Recurrent epigastric pain, heartburn or symptoms of acid regurgitation, with or without bloating, nausea or vomiting
Should you always use the term dyspepsia when talking to your patients ?
No, it depends on your assessment of the patient medical literacy. It is always better to use language in the terms that patients will understand.
This builds trusts
If the cause of dyspepsia was GORD, what other symptoms might a pt have apart from heartburn and indeigesiton
- Belching
- Excess salivation of the mouth
- nausea and vomitng
unpleasant tatse in the mouth.
What would be the symptoms if the cause of dyspepsia was gastroenteritis ?
- Fever
- vomiting
- belching
What were the most likely cause of dyspepsia in mr mueller case? What are the other causes?
5 most likely causes are:
- stress
- Functional dyspepsia
- gastritis
- peptic ulcer disease
- GORD
it is important to know what is more common (prevalence) and look at it in the context of the symptoms.
other causes:
What’s the prevalence of the causes of dyspepsia normally presentable in pts
Functional dyspepsia - 66%
GORD- 19%
peptic ulcer disease - 13%
upper GI cancer - 2%
add diagram
N.b. Some pts with functional dyspepsia have gastritis
What are the features of functional dyspepsia ? What is present in investigations ? Give signicance
Symptoms of dyspepsia suffered but routine investigations doesnt show any causative abnormalities.
During endoscopy, elements of gastritis is revealed (70%).
*However, the degree of dyspepsia doesnt correlate with amount of gastritis and hence it’s still considered functional dyspepsia
What are the features of gastritis
Inflammation of gastric mucosa in which stomach lining is worn away.
it is quite common and it resolves by itself.
Some pts with it may not show dyspepsia symptoms.
However in some cases of gastritis, it is symptomatic. What are the causes of gastritis ?
- Infection
- alcohol excess
- Use of NSAIDS - they affect the integrity of the protective mucosa lining of the stomach
What can severe cases of gastritis lead to?
Ulceration
What are the 2 types of peptic ulcer disease and what is associated with ?
Gastric and duodenal ulcerations.
it can be associated with:
- functional dyspepsia
- overt gastritis
- peptic ulcerations- this is particular seen in pts in intensive care
If the cause of dyspepsia in pts is pancreatitis, what other symptoms will you expect to see?
Steatorrhea
IDDM
What is gallbladder disease and what do Pts with this normally present with?
Biliary disease. Pts present with colicky pain alongside dyspepsia.
What is colicky pain and how does it normally occur
Abdominal squeezing pain that tends to come and go in spasm -like waves.
It arises when a hollow tube tries to contract to relieve obstruction (that can be caused by gallstones)
What are the causes of obstruction that leads to collicky pain
Gallstones
Renal stones
Intestinal obstuction