Medicine - Gastroenterology Flashcards
Describe and differentiate the symptoms of mild, moderate and severe flares of ulcerative colitis
Mild: <4 stools per day, little blood
Moderate: 4-6 stools per day, varying blood
Severe: >6 stools per day, bloody diarrhoea, systemic upset
What is the name of the criteria used to stage IBD, and what are the 6 criteria?
Truelove and Witts:
Heart rate
Temperature
Bowel movements
PR bleeding
Haemoglobin
ESR
Recall 2 typical histological findings of the gut layer for Crohn’s and then UC
Crohn’s: Increased goblet cells, granulomas
UC: Decreased goblet cells, crypt abscesses
What is the most common affected portion of the bowel in Crohn’s vs UC?
Crohn’s: terminal ileum (so RIF mass)
UC: rectum
Describe the typical features of inflammation in Crohn’s vs UC
Crohn’s: Skip lesions, rose-thorn ulcers, cobblestoning, string sign of kantor (narrow ileum stricture)
UC: ‘lead-pipe’, pseudo-polyps, thumbprinting
Which type of IBD carries the highest risk of colorectal cancer?
UC
In which form of IBD are fissures more common and why?
Crohn’s - because it affects the full thickness of the bowel wall
Differentiate the appearance of stool in active Crohn’s vs UC
Crohn’s: non-bloody diarrhoea
UC: bloody diarrhoea which may contain mucous
Which type of IBD is associated with gallstones and why?
Crohn’s
Bile acids are not properly absorbed as terminal ileum is affected
In which form of IBD can surgery be curative?
UC
Recall the possible extra-intestinal manifestations of IBD
A PIE SAC
Aphthous ulcers
Pyoderma gangrenosum (skin ulcers)
I (eye) = uveitis, iritis, episcleritis
Erythema nodosum
Sclerosing cholangitis (UC Only)
Arthritis
Clubbing (Crohn’s moreso)
Describe the process of inducing remission in Crohn’s
Steroids:
If mild: oral prednisolone
If severe: IV hydrocortisone
If no improvement after 5 days –> infliximab
Oral budesonide can be used in disease between the distal ileum and the ascending colon
Nutritional:
Replace diet with whole protein modular diet - excessively liquid, for 6-8 weeks - this helps to replace lost weight
Describe the process of maintaining remission in Crohn’s
First line: DMARDs (eg azothioprine)
Alternatives: infliximab/ aminosalicylates
Describe the management of UC
Severe disease:
Fulminant: IV steroids and anti-TNF (ciclosporin/infliximab)
Non-fulminant: oral aminosalicylates and corticosteroids with topical aminosalicylates
Non-severe disease:
1st line:
If distal colitis –> oral + topical aminosalicylates
If extensive colitis (past splenic flexure) –> topical and oral salicylates
2nd line:
Topical –> oral corticosteroids
3rd line:
Oral tacrolimus
4th line: biologics
5th line: surgery
What is the main side effect of aminosalicylates to remember?
Acute pancreatitis
In which form of IBD is surgical management most useful?
UC
What are the options for surgery in UC?
Emergency:
Hartmann’s protosigmoidectomy + end ileostomy –> later IPAA (ileal-pouch ana anastomosis)
Non-emergency:
Protocolectomy + IPAA or
Panprotocolectomy + end ileostomy
What are the criteria used to diagnose IBS?
It’s a diagnosis of excusion based on the ROME III criteria:
- Improvement with defaecation
- Change in stool frequency
- Change in stool form/ appearance/ consistency
Recall the grading of haemarrhoids
1st: in rectum after defaecation
2nd: prolapse at defaecation, spontaneous reduction
3rd: prolapse at defaecation, manual reduction
4th: persistently prolapsed
What is the first line management of haemorrhoids?
Increased fruit/ fibre
Stool softener
Topical analgesics
Topical steroids (suppository)
Recall some non-operative ways of managing haemorrhoids?
Rubber-band ligation
Sclerotherapy
Electrotherapy
Infrared coagulation
Recall 3 surgical options for managing haemorrhoids
Haemarrhoidectomy
Haemorrhoidopexy
HALO (haemorrhoidal artery ligation operation)
What is the standard treatment for C diff enterocolitis?
PO vancomycin
2nd line fidaxomicin
If severe/unresponsive –> IV vanc + met
Which bacteria demonstrates “tumble weed motility”?
Listeria monocytogenes