Nichols + ??? 3 Flashcards
Constipation
-Infrequent BM <3/week for 12 months with straining/feeling of incomplete evacuation/hard stool at least 25% of time
Normal Colonic Motility
- motor function depends on contraction of circular layer of smooth muscle
- has 3 patterns of contractions
Short Duration Colonic Contractions
Stationary Motor Contractions
- Present over short areas of colon
- Causes mixing of fecal material and extraction of water
- Persists for <15 seconds
Long Duration Colonic Contraction
- may be stationary or propagate for short distances
- may travel in orad or aboral direction
- assists in mixing and local propulsion of feces
- migrates toward rectum in distal colon
Giant Migrating Complexes of Colon
- propagates aborally aver extended distances
- causes mass movement of feces
- normally occurs 1-2 times/day
- may be precipitated by colonic distention
Food Intake & Colonic Motility
- food causes increased segmental activity
- gastrocolic reflux-may be mediated by CCK
- response is proportional to caloric content of meal
Hormones & Colonic Motility
CCk causes increased frequency & amplitude of segmental contractions
PgF
PgE
Serotonin
PgF
stimulates longitudinal muscle contraction
PgE
inhibits circular muscle contraction
Serotonin
mediates intestinal peristalsis and secretion in GI tract as well as modulation of pain perception
Role of Serotonin
- serotonin (5-HT) is an important neurotransmitter in the brain-gut interaction (released by enterochromaffin cells)
- 80% of total body 5-HT located in GI tract
- 5-HT3 receptor antagonists have offered some help in alleviating pain in IBS and functional dyspepsia
- 5-HT4 receptor agonists have a prokinetic effect in humans
Epidemiology of Constipation
- 12-19% of people
- more common in individuals with little daily physical activity, low income, and poor education
- in patients 65 years of age, especially more in women
Constipation: Pediatric Etiology
95% functional 5% organic -anatomic -metabolic -neuropathic -drugs -endocrine connective tissue D/O -lead intoxication or botulism
Functional Constipation
- infants and pre-school
- 2 weeks duration Pebble-like, hard stools
Functional Fecal Retention
- common cause of chronic constipation
- with fear and toilet refusal from infancy to 16 years old
Constipation: Elderly
- endocrine and metabolic disease
- neurologic disease
- psychological conditions
- structural abnormalities
- lifestyle
- iatrogenic (meds)
Constipation Diagnosis
- H&P/other medical conditions
- evaluate current meds
- rule out thyroid disorders or electrolytes problem
- colonoscopy or Barium Enema
- colon transit of markers
- anorectum manometry
Lab Data of Constipation
performed in patients with rectal bleeding, weight loss of >10lbs, a family history of colon cancer, IBD, anemia, positive fecal occult blood, short-term constipation
- CBC
- serum glucose, creatinine, calcium
- TSH
Malabsorption
- problem in GI lumen, Defects in epithelial absorptive surface, post-epithelum defect
- steatorrhea, carbs, proteins
Steatorrhea
greater than 5% of dietary fat intake
Patients with steatorrhea?
- weight loss
- stool characteristics
- osteomalacia
- easy bruising
- Fe deficiency anemia not due to blood loss
- adult dev. of lactase insufficiency
- gastric surgery, specially Billroth II
Steatorrhea Stool Characteristics?
- floats
- greasy
- stinks
- hard to flush
- oil droplets with minimal stools
Mechanisms causing diarrhea in steatorrhea?
- increase of osmotically active particles of mal-absorbed dietary constituents
- hydroxylation of 10-hydroxy-oleate which acts as cathartic
- fatty acids themselves impair fluid & electrolyte absorption
Diagnostic Studies with Steatorrhea?
- chemical fat balance, D-xylose absorption, secretin test, X-ray (flat plate of abdomen, CT scan, barium)
- hydrogen breath test, aspiration of duodenal content for giardia & quant
Stages of Malabsorption
- Intraluminal Stage
- Intestinal Stage
- Lymphatic Transport Stage
What Causes the most Steatorrhea?
pancreatic insufficiency
Intraluminal Stage
-chronic pancreatitis
-Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome
-Post-gastrectomy
-cystic fibrosis
Solubilization: bile acid insufficiency
-cholestatic liver disease, terminal lleum resection, bacterial overgrowth in small intestine, reduced CCK released
Effects of Impaired Circulation of Bile Salts
- diarrhea and if severe steatorrhea
- increased proportion of the bile acids pols conjugated with glycine vs. taurine
- increased proportion of deoxycholate in bile
- a reduced bile salt pool size
Intestinal Stage
Epithelial cell surface digestion
- Disaccharidase Insufficiency
- Stasis Syndrome
Intestinal Stage: Intestinal Cell Dysfunction
- gluten sensitivity enteropathy
- stasis syndrome
- whipple’s disease
- intestinal ischemia
- radiation enteritis
- tropical sprue
- genetic disorders such as cystinuria
- anderson’s disease
- abetalipoproteinemia