Oesophagus Flashcards
What are the causes of perforating oesophageal injury?
1. iatrogenic-60% with endoscopy 2. Trauma-25% with stab and gunshot wounds 3. Spontaneous-15% -Boerhave syndrome 4. Caustic injuries 5. Barotrauma
What is Boerhaave syndrome?
It is when a person tries to vomit against a closed upper oesophageal sphincter and that leads to increased pressure distally and a full thickness oesopheal perforation on the posterior-lateral side(left)
What is the clinical picture of these patients?
- Hoarseness
- Pleuritic chest pain
- Precipitating event
cervical rupture: surgical emphysema, odynophagia
thoracric rupture: peural effusion, crunching heart sounds, deadly mediastinitis(septic shock)
abdominal rupture: acute abdomen and epigastric pain with shoulder pain
What is the management of perforations if you see this patient in the ward?
- RESUS!
- IV fluids
- Antibiotics IV
- analgesia
primary surgical repair within 24 hours
After 24 hours then we have to do an oesophageal exclusion with cervical esophagostomy, gastrostomy and feeding jejunostomy
What are the 2 chemicals we ingest?
- Acids-battery acid and worse in stomach
2. Alkali-cleaning detergents and worse in the oesophagus
What is a complication of caustic injury?
It can cause strictures(healing by fibrosis)
What is the clinical presentation of patients with caustic injuries?
- drooling because its too painful to swallow
- History of ingestion
- stridor and bronchospasm
- inflammatory markers like tachycardia, fever
- burn marks to the lips, mouth
What is the initial management for caustic injuries?
- Nil by mouth
- IV fluids
- IV antibiotics
- Analgesia
- Refer for endoscopy
What is the definitive management for caustic injuries?
- mild damage-discharge after endoscopy
- moderate damage- conservative management after endoscopy
- severe damage- laparotomy for possible necrosis resection and stent placement for 6 weeks to prevent stricture formation
- Chest xray t look for perforation into mediastinum
When a middle aged individual arrives with sudden GERD, what should you exclude first?
carcinoma!
What are the causes of GERD?
- increased abdominal pressure
- decreased lower oesophageal sphincter function
- loss of the angle of his(angle between the oesophaus and the fundus)
- absence of a segment of oesophagus in the abdomen
- Poor oesophageal contractions(clearance mechanism) common in scleroderma
What do 80% of adults with GERD have?
A hiatus hernia
What are the indications for surgery?
- Patient does not want to be on lifelong PPI treatment
- Lung/aspiration complications
- volume reflux with regurgitation
- columnar metalsia (barrets oesophagus)
- failed treatment on conservative management
What is the surgery we do for GERD?
Nissen fundoplication where the fundus of the stomach is wrapped 360 degrees around the lower end of the oesophagus and causes increased pressure to prevent reflux
complications: not being able to vomit or belch, flatulence and dysphagia
What is achalasia?
It is a rare neurological condition that causes decreased lowere oesophageal relaxation due to the loss of ganglionic cells in Auberchs plexus