Paediatric gastroenterology Flashcards
What is biliary atresia?
a congenital condition where a section of the bile duct is either narrowed or absent
What does biliary atresia result in?
cholestasis
What does biliary atresia prevent the excretion of?
Conjugated bilirubin
When should you suspect biliary atresia?
babies with a persistent jaundice, lasting more than 14 days in term babies and 21 days in premature babies
What is the initial investigation for biliary atresia?
Conjugated and unconjugated bilirubin
What is the management for biliary atresia?
Kasai portoenterostomy surgery
What are the 4 surgical causes of abdominal pain?
Appendicitis, Intussuscpetion, bowel obstruction and testicular torsion
What are the red flags for abdominal pain?
Persistent or bilious vomiting
Severe chronic diarrhoea
Fever
Rectal bleeding
Weight loss or faltering growth
Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)
Nighttime pain
Abdominal tenderness
What can anaemia in abdominal pain suggest?
IBD or coeliac disease
What can raised inflammatory markers in abdominal pain suggest?
IBD
What antibodies suggest coeliac disease?
anti-TTG or anti-EMA
What does raised faecal calprotectin indicate?
IBD
What is the most common cause of constipation in children?
Idiopathic constipation
What is encopresis?
Faecal incontinence
What are some rarer causes of encopresis?
Spina bifida, Hirschprung’s disease, cerebral palsy, learning difficulties, abuse, psychological stress
What are secondary causes of constipation?
Hirschprung’s disease, cystic fibrosis, hypothyroidism, spinal cord lesions, sexual abuse, intestinal obstruction, anal stenosis, cow milk intolerance
What are the red flags of constipation?
Not passing meconium within 48 hours of birth
Neurological signs or symptoms, particularly in the lower limbs
Vomiting
Ribbon stool
Abnormal anus
Abnormal lower back or buttocks
Failure to thrive
Acute severe abdominal pain and bloating
What is the red flag condition with constipation and not passing meconium within 48 hours of birth?
cystic fibrosis or Hirschsprung’s disease
What is the red flag condition with constipation and neurological signs or symptoms, particularly in the lower limbs?
cerebral palsy or spinal cord lesion
What is the red flag condition with constipation and vomiting?
intestinal obstruction or Hirschsprung’s disease
What is the red flag condition with constipation and ribbon stool?
anal stenosis
What is the red flag condition with constipation and abnormal anus?
anal stenosis, inflammatory bowel disease or sexual abuse
What is the red flag condition with constipation and abnormal lower back or buttocks?
spina bifida, spinal cord lesion or sacral agenesis
What is the red flag condition with constipation and failure to thrive?
coeliac disease, hypothyroidism or safeguarding
What is the red flag condition with constipation and acute severe abdominal pain and bloating?
obstruction or intussusception
What are the complications of constipation?
Pain
Reduced sensation
Anal fissures
Haemorrhoids
Overflow and soiling
Psychosocial morbidity
What is the first line laxative for constipation?
Movicol
Why do babies often get GORD?
Immaturity of the lower oesophageal sphincter, allowing stomach contents to easily reflux into the oesophagus.
90% of young children stop having GORD by what age?
1 year
What are the causes of vomiting in children?
Overfeeding
Gastro-oesophageal reflux
Pyloric stenosis (projective vomiting)
Gastritis or gastroenteritis
Appendicitis
Infections such as UTI, tonsillitis or meningitis
Intestinal obstruction
Bulimia
What are the red flags or
Not keeping down any feed
Projectile or forceful vomiting
Bile stained vomit
Haematemesis or melaena
Abdominal distention
Reduced consciousness, bulging fontanelle or neurological signs
Respiratory symptoms
Blood in the stools
Signs of infection
Rash, angioedema and other signs of allergy
Apnoeas
What red flag condition might GORD and not keeping down any feed suggest?
pyloric stenosis or intestinal obstruction
What red flag condition might GORD and projectile or forceful vomit suggest?
pyloric stenosis or intestinal obstruction
What red flag condition might GORD and not keeping down any feed suggest?bile stained vomit suggest?
intestinal obstruction
What red flag condition might GORD and haematemesis or melaena suggest?
peptic ulcer, oesophagitis or varices
What red flag condition might GORD and abdominal distention suggest?
intestinal obstruction
What red flag condition might GORD and reduced consciousness, bulging fontanelle or neurological signs suggest?
meningitis or raised intracranial pressure
What red flag condition might GORD and respiratory symptoms suggest?
aspiration and infection
What red flag condition might GORD and blood in stools suggest?
gastroenteritis or cows milk protein allergy
What red flag condition might GORD and signs of infection suggest?
pneumonia, UTI, tonsillitis, otitis or meningitis
What red flag condition might GORD and rash, angioedema and other signs of allergy suggest?
cows milk protein allergy
What is Sandifer’s syndrome?
This is a rare condition causing brief episodes of abnormal movements associated with gastro-oesophageal reflux in infants.
What are the key features of sandifer’s syndrome?
Torticollis and dystonia
What type of muscle is the pyloric sphincter?
Smooth muscle