IBD Flashcards
what is IBD?
- Chronic disease
- Causes inflammation of the digestive tract
what are the two main forms of IBD?
– Ulcerative Colitis
– Crohn’s Disease
what is the key difference between UC and CD?
Key differences between the two are the LOCATION and
EXTENT of the inflammation
what complications occurs in UC?
pancolitis- all
distal colitis-
proctitis-
how/where does CD affect the intestines?
terminal ileum
ilecolon- patchy inflam and stricture
colon
what is CD?
Typically involves the distal ileum or colon but can affect the ENTIRE digestive tract.
* Starts as an inflammatory lesion which develops into ulceration of the mucosa and then progresses to deeper
layers
what is CD characterised by?
– Areas of healthy tissue .v. diseased tissue giving characteristic
‘skip lesions’
– Cobblestone appearance
what is the most common type of IBD?
UC
what is UC characterised by?
– Characterised by diffuse inflammation and crypt abscesses
how often does IBD occur?
Both diseases following a relapsing/remitting
course
* Patients can be well going long periods without (or with very few) symptoms, however, this is often followed by periods of active disease when symptoms flare up
where does CD affect?
– Typically involves distal ileum,
proximal colon
* Can affect the entire digestive tract
– Inflammation can go through entire
thickness of the bowel wall
where does UC affect?
– Only affects the colon
– Diffuse inflammation
– Affects the colonic mucosa
how do signs and symptoms vary for IBD?
depending on the site and severity of inflammation
what are the overlapping symptoms in UC and CD?
– Abdominal pain/cramping
– Diarrhoea
– Fever
– Tiredness/Fatigue
– Weight loss/Reduced appetite
– Mouth sores
where does abdominal cramping affect?
- In U.C this is usually in the lower abdomen and
tends to be a colicky type pain. Pain is usually
severe in severe colitis. - In C.D pain is often in the RLQ and more
prevalent than in U.C
what causes abdominal pain in IBD?
Inflammation/ulceration can affect the normal
movement of the intestines/colon and its
contents resulting in pain/cramping
is diarrhoea common in IBD?
– Common problem
– Intestinal cramping can contribute to it
– Blood can be present
– U.C: tend to get bloody, mucoid diarrhoea due to the
inflammation of the mucosa
– Can occur during the night as well
why would someone get a fever with IBD?
– Usually low grade and due to underlying inflammation
(and or infection)
why would someone be tired with IBD?
– Can be in part due to the development of
anaemia
why would weightloss/ reduced appetite be a probelm in IBD?
– Due to reduced ability to digest/absorb food
– Often get malabsorption
– Many IBD patients have a reduced BMI
what are some extra-intestional manifestations of IBD?
Inflammation of the skin, eyes, joints and liver
failure to thrive in children
what are the potential complications of IBD?
– Increased risk of colon cancer
– Surveillance monitoring is in place as per NICE
recommendations with colonoscopies for this patient
group
– Malnutrition
– Due to excess diarrhoea and malabsorption
– Anaemia
– Iron deficiency; bleeding from the GI tract due to
inflammation
risks ass with medication
blood clots
primary sclerosing cholangitis
what are potential complications of CD?
Narrowing of the bowel wall
* Obstruction
– Due to strictures caused by spasms, scarring, oedema
and luminal narrowing, this can lead to fistulas
* Fistulas
– Abnormal connection between two areas of the intestine
– Ulcers
– Anal fissures and perianal lesions such as
skin tags and abscesses
what are the potential complications of UC?
– Toxic megacolon
– Dilation of the colon causing severe abdominal
pain, tenderness and distention
– At a significant risk of bowel perforation
– Associated with a 50% mortality rate
– Perforated colon
what are the risk factors of IBD?
– Age
– Family History
(10 – 20%)
– Infection (50%)
– Smoking
– Medication
* NSAIDS
what are the causes for IBD?
– Not well understood
– Genetics
– Environmental
triggers
– Autoimmune
what type of IBD has an autoimmune component?
CD
what are environemtal risk factors for IBD?
- Smoking
– Associated with increased risk of developing C.D whereas with U.C at a greater risk of developing if you don’t smoke - Diet
– Certain foods might affect the already damaged mucosal lining and trigger a flare e.g. caffeine, spicy, fatty foods
how is diagnosis made?
Based on a combination of factors, not just
one element:
– Examination and history taking
* Abdomen may be tender and slightly distended;
PR may show presence of blood
– Colonoscopy/sigmoidoscopy
* Biopsies
* 2 biopsies from 5 different sites
– Stool cultures
* Relapses can be associated with pathogens,
therefore, always check in a flare
what blood test will be done for diagnosis and why?
Anaemia
* FBC: looking for presence of iron or B12 deficiency due to chronic
inflammation, blood loss and/or malabsorption
– Inflammation
* Increase in WCC, platelets, ESR an CRP (all useful markers of
active inflammation)
– LFT’s may be abnormal
* Reduced albumin due to malabsorption
* Raised ALP, AST, ALT and bilirubin due to primary sclerosing
cholangitis
– U&E’s
* Dehydration and electrolyte imbalances
– Faecal calprotectin
* Calprotectin: protein released into faeces when neutrophils gather
at the site of inflammation
* Help guide management and diagnosis
* Determine if urgent imaging is needed and has prevented
unnecessary referrals for colonoscopy
how will x-rays and endoscopy help in diagnosis?
Abdominal x-ray
– Rule out toxic megacolon
* Endoscopy
– If you suspect inflammation is higher up in the GI
Tract
what is it important to ruele out in the differential diagnosis?
– Colorectal cancer
– Other forms of IBD/colitis e.g. ischaemic
– Infection
– Diverticular disease
– Irritable bowel syndrome
– Appendicitis
– Ectopic pregnancy
– Pelvic inflammatory disease
what general support should you give to someone with IBD?
– Fertility and contraception
– Monitoring
– Advice
– Interactions
– Side-effects
what are general supportive issues that are important to inform patient of?
- Possible delay of growth and puberty in children
and young people - Diet and nutrition
– Avoid fatty, sugary foods – encourage a healthy high fibre diet - Fertility
– Can be reduced in active disease (women) - Prognosis
- Side effects of their treatment
- Cancer risk
- Smoking cessation
when are aminosalicylates mostly used?
UC
dont use a lot in CD
when are antibiotics used in therapy?
- Used if underlying infection
- In fistulating C.D
what is the treatment aim in IBD?
- Heal the inflammation and in turn reduce
symptoms during a flare up i.e. induce
remission - OR
- Prevent flare ups from happening
what should you treat a patient when inducing remission in CD?
Corticosteroids
– Offer monotherapy with a conventional glucocorticosteroid (prednisolone, methylprednisolone or intravenous hydrocortisone) to induce remission in people with a first presentation or a single inflammatory exacerbation of Crohn’s disease in a 12-month period.
what should you offer In people with one or more of distal ileal, ileocaecal or right-sided colonic disease who decline, cannot tolerate or in whom a conventional glucocorticosteroid is
contraindicated?
budesonide
less effective but fewer side effetcs
what should you consider when prescribing corticosteroids as treatment?
When long term corticosteroid therapy is used in some chronic diseases, the adverse effects of treatment may become greater than the disabilities of the disease.
* To minimise side-effects the dose should be kept as low as possible and used for the shortest possible time
what are some early and delayed side effects of corticosteroids?
- Early effects
– Acne
– Oedema
– Sleep & mood disturbance
– Dyspepsia
– Impaired Glucose tolerance - Delayed Effects
– Cataracts
– Osteoporosis & osteonecrosis
– Myopathy
– Susceptibility to infection
– Moon face