Session 10 - Part II Flashcards
What are the different ways of imaging the GIT?
CT & MRI Ultrasound X- Ray Contrast studies Angiography
What are the types of Contrast studies?
Barium tests insoluble (Swallow. follow through & Enema)
Iodine based water soluble
What is Angiography useful for?
Ischaemia blockages
What is Lead pipe colon?
An appearance of the colon on x ray due to long term Inflammatory bowel disease eg Ulcerative colitis and Crohns disease
What are the benefits of Ultrasound?
Cheap
No radiation
Portable
How can you tell there has been a perforation on x ray?
There will be gas in the Peritoneal cavity (Needs to be an erect x ray to allow the air to settle)
What can cause perforations?
Peptic ulcers
Trauma
Diverticulum
What is a Diverticulum?
Outpouching of a hollow (or a fluid-filled) structure in the body
What do calcifications look like on x ray?
White
How would patients present with an Aortic aneurysm?
Pain that radiates fully to the back
When would you x ray the abdomen?
If looking for something specific due to the radiation risks eg renal colic looking for stones
Exacerbation of IBS
What markings on the large bowel would you see on an x ray?
The Haustra (Lines on the large bowel that do not pass all the way across)
In what direction are x rays usually taken?
Anterior to Posterior
Except for when looking at the heart size due to shadowing
What marking on the small bowel would you see on x ray?
Valvulae conniventes (mucosal folds that cross the full width of the bowel)
What would you see in a Toxic megacolon gas pattern?
Pseupolyps due to oedema
Expansion of the bowel
What would you see in a Volvulus gas pattern?
Necrosis due to lack of blood supply
Perforation peritonitis
Sigmoid colon most likely to twist on its mesentery –> coffee bean sign (Very dilated sigmoid colon)
What size is the large bowel when it is obstructed?
> 6 cm dilated due to more gas in bowel
What size is the small bowel when it is obstructed?
> 3 cm dilated due to more gas in bowl
What are the symptoms of a small bowel obstruction?
Vomiting then constipation
What are the symptoms of a large bowel obstruction?
Constipation
Motility issues, especially with peristalsis
What colour is Barium on x ray?
White
When would you use a Barium enema?
To see diverticular and out pouches
Where is a Barium enema distributed?
Per rectum
When is a Barium follow through used?
When you want to see the upper GIT past the Duodenum
