Pharmaceutical Care: Gastrointestinal Patients 1 Flashcards
What is dyspepsia?
Any upper GI symptoms present for 4 weeks or more
What are the symptoms of dyspepsia?
- Heartburn
- Fullness
- Early satiety
- Upper abdominal pain or ache- ulcer
- Flatulence
- Hiccups coughing
- Belching
What are the medicines which may cause dyspepsia?
- Calcium antagonists
- Nitrates
- Theophylline
- Bisphosphonates
- NSAIDS
What are the causes and signs where you should refer someone with dyspepsia?
- Chronic GI bleeding
- Progressive unintentional weight loss
- Persistent vomiting
- Progressive difficulty swallowing
- Iron deficient anaemia
- Epigastric mass
- Suspicious barium meal
What does each letter in ALARM stand for and what is it for?
A- Age- over 55
L- significant and unintentional weight loss
A- Anaemia
R- Recurrent vomiting and difficulty swallowing
M- Maleana- production of dark sticky faeces
Noticing early signs of gastric cancer
When should you give antacids and what does the magnesium and aluminium laxative do?
- Antacids: best given when symptoms occur or are expected
- Magnesium = laxative
- Aluminium = constipating
How do alginates work?
- Protects against acid reflux by building a raft
2. Increases viscosity of stomach contents taken in combination with antacids
What are the problems which can occur when antacids are used with enteric coating?
Damaged by antacids
Pre mature dissolution
Speeding up the time to dissolve by increasing pH
What are the lifestyle changes required to handle dyspepsia?
- Smoking
- Alcohol
- Coffee
- Chocolate
- Fatty foods
- Weight
- Raise head of bed
- Do not eat too late
What are the causes of GORD?
- Failure of the lower oesophageal sphincter (LOS)- a ring of muscle towards the bottom of the oesophagus
- Acts like a valve to let food fall into the stomach- closes to prevent acid leaking out of stomach to oesophagus
- This doesn’t close probably which causes acid to leak out of stomach
What are the know risk factors for GORD?
- Overweight or obese
- Pregnant
- High fat diet
What is the role of the pharmacist against GORD- lifestyle factors and medication?
- Simple advice regarding lifestyle factor
- Smaller meals
- Do not eat too late into evening
- Weight management
- Smoking cessation
- Raise head of bed by 4 inches- acid doesn’t travel as far in oesophagus
- Stress management - Reviewing patient’s medication- avoid drugs that cause or exacerbate symptoms:
- Theophylline
- Nitrates
- Calcium channel blockers
- Beta blockers
- Alpha Blockers
- Anti cholinergics
How do proton pump inhibitors work, what are the cautions, side effects and
- Inhibit gastric secretion by blocking H+/K+ ATP enzyme system
- Can mask signs of gastric cancer
- Prescribed at lowest effective dose- shortest time period
- Side effects: GI disturbances, increased risk of fractures and reduces gastric acidity (C difficile infections)
What is the dosing for omeprazole?
20 to 40mg OD for 4 weeks (max 8 weeks)
then 20mg OD
What is the medicines management issues with proton pump inhibitors?
- High dose of PPI hasn’t be reviewed
- Clostridium Difficile
- Polypharmacy
- Just extra medicine to take
- Capsule size
- Taste
- Drug interactions
What is ulcerative colitis?
- Chronic and UNPREDICTABLE- relapsing remitting non infectious inflammatory disease
- Mucosa of the rectum and a variable length of the colon are inflamed
What is Crohn’s disease?
- Chronic relapsing and remitting, non infectious inflammatory disease
- The inflammation involves discrete parts of gastro-intestinal tract