Introduction Flashcards
What is a sign?
Externally visible and detectable to someone other than the patient
What is a symptom?
Internally experienced by the patient and impossible to detect by others
What are some general symptoms of GI tract disease?
- Anaemia
- Anorexia
- Weight loss
- Malaise
What are some symptoms associated with upper GI tract disease?
- haematemesis (vomiting blood)
- melaena (blood in stool)
- Nausea and vomiting
- Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)
- Odynophagia (painful swallowing)
- Heartburn (caused by acid regurgitation)
- Acid regurgitation (acid entering oesophagus)
- Belching
- Chest pain
- Epigastric pain (pain in central upper abdomen, below chest pain area)
What can cause stool to be black?
Upper GI bleeding which travels through the GI tract. The pigment is altered by gut flora, digestive enzymes and secretions, which change the colour
What are some symptoms that are associated with hepatobiliary disorders?
- RUQ pain (liver and gallbladder here)
- Biliary colic (gallbladder pain caused by gallbladder contraction against downstream obstruction)
- jaundice
- dark urine (high bilirubin)
- pale stool
- ascites (cancer, liver failure and malnutrition)
What causes jaundice?
An increase in circulating bilirubin. This is usually because the hepatobiliary system is unable to process the amount of bilirubin in the blood for pre-hepatic, hepatic or post-hepatic reasons.
What causes pale stool?
The normal brown colour of faeces is due to the presence of stercobilin. This pigment arises from bilirubin that enters the gut through bile secretion, so if bilirubin doesn’t make it into the gut then stercobilin concentration will go down and stools will become pale.
What are some symptoms associated with mid GI tract disorders?
- Abdominal pain
- Steatorrhoea
- Diarrhoea (sign of digestive failure - reduced lipase or bile)
- Abdominal distention (excessive gas or ascites)
What are some symptoms associated with lower GI tract disorders?
- Abdominal pain
- Rectal bleeding (bright red)
- Constipation (reduced gut motility which allows longer for water absorption)
- Diarrhoea
- Incontinence (bladder +/ rectum causes by neural damage to sphincter or mechanical or diarrhoea)
- ## Flatulence
What are some general signs of GI disease (whole body)?
- Cachexia (muscle wasting)
- Obesity
- Lymphadenopathy (enlargament of lymphoid tissue)
- Jaundice (hallmark of liver failure)
What are some general signs of GI disease (hands)?
- Koilonychia
- Leuconychia
- Nail clubbing
- Dupytren’s contractures
- Tachycardia
- Tremor
What is koilonchycia and what is it a sign of?
Spooning of the nails of the fingers. This is a common sign of iron-definicient anaemia.
What is leuconychia and what can it indicate?
Partial or complete whitening of the nails, which are usually pink. It can reflect a dietary nutrient deficiency.
What is nail clubbing and what does it indicate?
Nails of the fingers having an enlarged concave appearance. This is usually a sign of malabsorption, Crohn’s or cirrhosis.