GORD,achalasia Flashcards
What are some of the causes and triggers for GORD?
Greasy and spicy foods
Coffee and tea
Alcohol
NSAIDs
Stress
Smoking
Obesity
Hiatus hernia
What is the lining of the oesophagus?
Squamous epithelial
What type of bacteria is H.Pylori?
Gram-negative aerobic
What does H.pylori bacteria do to the stomach and the stomach lining?
It creates gaps in the gastric mucosa, exposing the epithelial cells underneath to be damaged from the stomach acid.
H.pylori also produces ammonium hydroxide which neutralises the stomach acid and produces toxins which lead to gastric mucosal damage.
What investigations do you do for H.pylori?
Stool antigen test
Urea breath testusing radiolabelled carbon 13
H. pylori antibody test (blood)
Rapid urease testperformed during endoscopy (also known as theCLO test)
What is the eradication regime if a patient has H.pylori?How long?
Triple therapy with a PPI and 2 antibiotics (e.g. amoxicillin and clarithromycin) for 7 days
What is the only test recommended for H.pylori POST-eradication therapy?
The urea breath test
When is the stool antigen test recommended in H.pylori investigation?
For the diagnosis of GASTRO-DUODENAL infection with H.pylori
What is the urea breath test?
- patients consume a drink containing carbon isotope 13 (13C) enriched urea
- urea is broken down by H. pylori urease
- after 30 mins patient exhale into a glass tube
- mass spectrometry analysis calculates the amount of 13C CO2
- should not be performed within 4 weeks of treatment with an antibacterial or within 2 weeks of an antisecretory drug (e.g. a proton pump inhibitor)
What is the rapid urease test?
Rapid urease test involves taking a small biopsy of the stomach mucosa and adding it to urea liquid.
H.pylori produces urease enzymes that convert urea —→ ammonia
Ammonia makes the solution more alkaline. So when there is a colour change, that gives a positive result (PINK means a + test)
What is Barrett’s oesophagus?
It is when the lower oesophageal epithelium changes from squamous to columnar epithelium (is called metaplasia meaning a change in cell type)
What is Barrett’s oesophagus caused by?
Chronic acid reflux into the oesophagus
What are the risk factors for GORD?
- gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD)is the single strongest risk factor
- male gender (7:1 ratio)
- smoking
- central obesity
How do you treat Barrett’s oesophagus (is usually diagnosed via endoscopy when pts are investigated for dyspepsia)?
High dose PPI (reduces progression to dyspepsia)
Endoscopic monitoring from progression to adenocarcinoma
Endoscopic ablation (radiofrequency ablation to destroy the abnormal columnar epithelial cells and precancerous cells. Treatment for low and high-grade dysplasia)
What is Zollinger-Ellison syndrome?
A rare condition where excessive amounts of gastrin are secreted by gastrin secreting tumours in the duodenum and pancreas. more gastrin means more stomach acid causing dyspepsia, diarrhoea and peptic ulcers