Pestana- 4. General Surgery Flashcards
What is the best way of diagnosing GERD when the diagnosis is uncertain?
pH monitoring
What should be performed in a patient with longstanding GERD where you are concerned for potential peptic esophagitis or Barrett esophagus?
Endoscopy and biopsies
What is the treatment for a patient with GERD and severe dysplastic changes?
- Medical therapy
- Radiofrequency Ablation
- Nissen fundoplication
What is the first line study for suspected esophageal motility problems?
Barium swallow
What provides a definitive diagnosis in a patient with suspected esophageal motility problems?
manometry
What is the typical symptom of achlasia?
dysphagia that is worse for liquids (needing to sit up straight after swallowing drink)
What is seen on x-ray with achlasia?
megaesophagus
What is the diagnostic tool for achlasia?
manometry
What is the most appealing current treatment for achlasia?
balloon dilatation by endoscopy
What is the typical symptom of esophageal cancer?
progression of dysphagia (meats–> other solids –> liquids –> saliva)
What is the typical esophageal cancer in a alcoholic black man who smokes?
squamous cell carcinoma
What is the typical esophageal cancer in a patient with long-standing GERD?
adenocarcinoma
How do you diagnose esophageal cancer?
1) Barium swallow
2) Endoscopy + biopsies
Is surgery for esophageal CA usually palliative or curative?
palliative
How do you diagnose Mallory-Weiss tear?
endoscopy
How do you treat Mallory-Weiss tears?
photocoagulation (during diagnostic endoscopy)
What is esophageal perforation after prolonged, forceful vomiting?
Boerhaave syndrome
What are the symptoms of Boerhaave syndrome?
Continuous, severe, wrenching epigastric/low sternal pain of sudden onset (with fever, leukocytosis, and sick looking patient)
How do you diagnose Boerhaave syndrome?
Contrast swallow (Gastrografin first, barium if negative)
What is the most common reason for esophageal perforation?
instrumental perforation of the esophagus (shortly after completion of endoscopy)
What should you suspect in an elderly patient with anorexia, weight loss, early satiety, vague epigastric distress and occasional hematemesis?
gastric adenocarcinoma
When do you treat a gastric lymphoma with surgery (rather than chemo or radiotherapy)?
if perforation of stomach is feared as tumor melts away
How do you treat low-grade lymphomatoid transformation (MALTOMA)?
eradication of H. pylori
What is the most common cause of mechanical intestinal obstruction?
adhesions in those who have had a prior laparotomy
What are symptoms of a mechanical intestinal obstruction?
- Colicky abdominal pain
- Protracted vomiting
- Progressive abdominal distention (if it is low)
- NO passage of gas or feces
- High pitched bowel sounds –> no bowel sounds
What does x-ray of a mechanical intestinal obstruction show?
distended loops of small bowel with air-fluid levels
What is the initial treatment for a patient with a mechanical intestinal obstruction?
- NPO
- NG suction
- IV fluids
When do you do surgery for a mechanical intestinal obstruction?
- If conservative management is unsuccessful
- Within 24 hours in cases of complete obstruction
- Within a few days in cases of partial obstruction
What should you be concerned about in you patient with a mechanical intestinal obstruction who develops fever, leukocytosis, constant pain, signs of peritoneal irritation and ultimately full-blown peritonitis and sepsis?
strangulated obstruction
Other than adhesions, what is another cause of mechanical intestinal obstruction?
incarcerated hernia (irreducible)
What is carcinoid syndrome?
a patient who has a small bowel carcinoid tumor with liver mets
What are the associated symptoms of carcinoid syndrome?
- Diarrhea
- Facial flushing
- Wheezing
- Right sided heart valve damage (high JVP)
What is the diagnosis of carcinoid syndrome?
24 hour urinary collection for 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid
Why do you need to do 24 hour urinary collection for 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid to diagnose carcinoid syndrome?
the 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid will only be high during an episodic attack or spell, so blood samples after attack will be normal
What is the typical initial symptom of acute appendicitis?
anorexia
How severe is the leukocytosis seen in acute appendicitis?
10,000-15,000 range with neutrophilia and immature forms
How do you diagnose acute appendicitis?
CT scan
What type of colon cancer shows up as an elderly patient with hypochromic, iron deficiency anemia (and 4+ occult blood in stool)?
right colon cancer
What is the diagnostic tool used for right colon cancer?
colonoscopy and biopsies
What is the treatment of choice for right colon cancer?
right hemicolectomy
What is the typical presentation of left colon cancer?
bloody bowel movements with narrow-caliber stool or constipation (this side of the colon is more narrow)
What is the primary diagnostic tool if you suspect left colon cancer?
flexible proctosigmoidoscopic exam (45 or 60cm)
What must be done before surgery for left sided colon cancer?
full colonoscopy (to r/o synchronous second primary)
What may be necessary if patient has a large rectal cancer?
re-op chemotherapy and radiation
Is an isolated inflammatory polyp premalignant?
NO
Is an adenomatous polyp premalignant?
YES
Is a hyperplastic polyp premalignant?
NO
Which can be cured with surgery: Crohn’s disease or CUC?
CUC
Why do you typically want to avoid surgically curing a patient of CUC?
surgical cure requires removal of the rectal mucosa (would need stoma or ileoanal anastomosis)
What do you expect in a patient with CUC who develops fever, leukocytosis, abdominal pain and tenderness with massively dilated colon with gas in the wall?
toxic megacolon
What are the indications for surgery in CUC?
- Active disease for >20 years (malignant degeneration)
- Severe nutritional depletion
- Multiple hospitalizations
- Need for high dose steroids or immunosuppressants
- Development of toxic megacolon
What are the indications for surgery in Crohn’s?
ONLY when there are complications (bleeding, stricture, fistulization)
What causes pseudomembranous enterocolitis?
overgrowth of C. difficile in patients who have been on antibiotics
Which class of antibiotics is currently most associated with pseudomembranous enterocolitis?
cephalosporins
How do you make the diagnosis of pseudomembranous enterocolitis?
- C. diff toxin identification in stool
- Endoscopy
How do you treat pseudomembranous enterocolitis?
- Discontinue antibiotic
- Metronidazole (vanc is alternative)
When is emergency colectomy warranted in pseudomembranous enterocolitis?
- Disease unresponsive to treatment
- WBC >50,000
- Serum lactate >5
What new therapy is showing promise for treatment of c. difficile overgrowth/ pseudomembranous enterocolitis?
fecal enema
How do you treat internal hemorrhoids?
rubber band ligation
Who typically gets anal fissures?
young women
Where are anal fissures typically located?
posterior and midline
What is therapy for anal fissures aimed at doing?
relaxing a tight anal sphincter
What are the treatment modalities for relaxing tight anal sphincters (to treat anal fissures)?
- Stool softeners
- Topical nitroglycerin
- CCB ointment (ex. diltiazem)
- Local injection of botox
- Forceful dilatation?!?!
- Lateral internal sphincterotomy
How do you treat a Crohn’s fistula at the anus?
drainage with setons + remicade
What should be suspected in a febrile patient with exquisite perirectal pain that does not let him sit down to have bowel movements?
ischiorectal abscess
Where are ischiorectal abscesses usually located?
lateral to the anus (between the rectum and the ischial tuberosity)
How do you treat a patient with a ischiorectal abscess?
incision and drainage
What do you worry about in a diabetic patient with an ischiorectal abscess?
necrotizing soft tissue infection
When do fistula-in-ano develop?
in patients who have ischiorectal abscesses drained (tract forms between anal crypt where abscess originated and perineal skin where drainage was done)
What are the symptoms of fistula-in-ano?
- fecal soiling
- occasional perineal discomfort
What does the physical exam of a patient with fistula-in-ano show?
- Opening lateral to anus
- Cordlike tract palpable
- Discharge may be expressed
How do you treat fistula-in-ano?
fistulotomy (after ruling out tumor)
Who typically gets squamous cell carcinoma of the anus?
HIV+
Homosexuals with receptive sexual practices
What does squamous cell carcinoma of the anus look like?
fungating mass growing out of the anus
What is the treatment for squamous cell carcinoma of the anus?
- NIgro chemoradiation protocol (5 weeks)
- Surgery (if there is residual tumor)
Is surgery typically required for squamous cell carcinoma of the anus?
NO- 90% cure rate with chemoradiation
What percentage of GI bleeds are upper?
75%
What is the division between upper and lower GI?
ligament of Treitz
If a GI bleed is “lower”, where is it most likely from?
colon or rectum
If a young patient has a GI bleed, is it more likely upper or lower?
upper
Vomiting blood suggests what?
upper GI bleed
What do you do if someone is vomiting blood?
NG tube
What is the next step after NG tube in patient who is vomiting blood?
upper GI endoscopy
What should the workup of a patient with melena begin with?
upper GI endoscopy
True or false: red blood per rectum is always lower GI bleed.
false, can be upper GI with fast transit
What is the first step in management of patient who is actively bleeding per rectum?
NG tube with aspiration of gastric contents
What NG tube result rules out upper GI bleed completely (so no need for upper GI endoscopy)?
no blood with bile-tinged (green) fluid
What are the 3 ways to tackle a lower GI bleed (after hemorrhoids are ruled out)?
- If >2 mL/min bleeding–> angiogram to allow for angiographic embolization
- If wait until bleeding stops and do colonoscopy
- If bleeding is in between –> tagged RBC study (if puddling, do angiogram; if no buddling, do colonoscopy)
What is the method often used to locate a GI bleed in the small bowel?
capsule endoscopy
How do you treat an older patient with h/o blood per rectum (but is now stable and not actively bleeding)?
upper + lower GI endoscopy
Blood per rectum in a child is most likely what?
Meckel diverticulum
What do you do to workup a suspected Meckel diverticulum?
technetium scan (look for ectopic gastric mucosa)
How do you avoid stress ulcers after major trauma?
keeping gastric pH >4
What is the best therapeutic option for massive upper GI bleed 2/2 stress ulcers?
angiographic embolization
What are the four main categories of acute abdominal pain causes?
- Perforation
- Obstruction
- Inflammatory processes
- Ischemic processes
What can confirm the diagnosis of perforation?
free air under diaphragm in upright x-ray
List the generalized signs of peritoneal irritation found in perforations.
Tenderness
Muscle guarding
Rebound
Silent abdomen
What is the pain like in a perf?
sudden
constant
generalized
very severe
What is the pain like in an obstruction?
colicky
radiating
How are patients’ behavior patterns different in perfs v. obstructions?
Perfs patients do not want to move, obstructions, patients are moving all the time to try to get comfortable