Session 11 - Signs and Symptoms of Abdominal Disorders Flashcards

1
Q

Give four common presentations for abdominal disorders

A

Dyspepsia
Abdominal Pain
Constipation
Dysphagia

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2
Q

Define dyspepsia

A

Upper abdominal pain

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3
Q

Give four causes of dyspepsia

A

o Chronic peptic ulcer disease
o GORD
o Malignancy
o Functional/non ulcer

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4
Q

What is functional dyspepsia?

A

60% of dyspepsia

No functional problem found to account for symptoms - 3 months of dyspepsia with no structural causes found

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5
Q

What are the three main actions when someone presents with dyspepsia?

A

o Empirical acid suppression
o Non invasive H-pylori testing/eradication
o Early endoscopy

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6
Q

How common is abdominal pain as a presentation?

A

2% of all admissions

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7
Q

What is the first thing you need to do when thinking about abdominal pain?

A

Localise it

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8
Q

How do you localise abdominal pian?

A

Is it intra-peritoneal/extra-peritoneal?

What embryological division does it belong to?

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9
Q

WHat are the three embryological divisions of the abdomen and where does pain localise?

A

 Foregut – Up to 2nd part of Duodenum - Epigastric area
 Midgut – Up until the distal third of the transverse colon - Peri-umbilical
 Hindgut – Supra-pubic

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10
Q

Give three causes of foregut pain

A

o Ulcers-epigastric pain
 Commonly in the first part of the duodenum / lesser curve of the stomach
o Pancreatits – Epigastric pain, back pain (retroperitoneal structure)
o Gallstones – Epigastric pain, can also get Right Upper Quadrant (RUQ) pain. Often refered to as colicky pain (slight misnomer as the pain fairly constant).

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11
Q

Give two examples of causes of midgut pain

A

‘Real’ colicky pain
o Small bowel – Every 2-3 minutes
o Large bowel – Every 10-15 mins

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12
Q

Give four signs and symptoms of small bowel obstruction

A
o	Vomiting (fairly early feature)
o	Abdominal distension
o	Xray may show 
	central abdominal distended loops
	Circular folds (extending the full width of the bowel lumen)
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13
Q

Give one cause of hindgut pain

A

Sigmoid volvulus

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14
Q

What is a sigmoid volvulus?

A

Causes 8% of all intestinal obstruction

Twists on itself or its mesentery, causing bowel obstruction and an interrupted blood supply

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15
Q

What is anorexia?

A

Loss of appetite

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16
Q

Give five causes of anorexia

A
o	Subjectively unpleasant food or surroundings
o	Anxiety
o	Anger/fear
o	Symptom of a physical disorder
o	Symptom of a psychological disorder
17
Q

Give five physical causes of anorexia

A
	Cancer (in particular GI tract)
	Chemotherapy/certain Antibiotics
	Pregnancy
	Depression
	Endocrine disorders
18
Q

What do you need to distinguis between when asking about weight loss?

A

Intentional or unintentional?

More than a 5% unintentional weight loss should be investigated

19
Q

What is nausea?

A

Subjective sensation of needing toi vomit

20
Q

Give four causes of nausea

A

o Food poisoning (Staphlococcal, salmonella, E-coli)
o Gastroenteritis (viral- Norwalk)
o Cholecystitis
o Appendicitis

21
Q

HOw is constipation classified?

A

Defecate less than 3 times a week - Change in bowel habit more important

22
Q

Give four causes of constipation

A

Diet
Medication
Dehydration
Immobility

23
Q

Why is a good history necessary for diarrhoea?

A

Many causes which change depending on the time and place of onset

24
Q

What are five categories of diarrhoea?

A
o	Secretory (Infection)
o	Osmotic (Lactose intolerance)
o	Abnormal Intestinal Motility (Thyrotoxicosis, IBS)
o	Exudative (Colitis, Cancer)
o	Malabsorption (Pancreatic enzyme/Bile Salt Deficiency)
25
What is dyspagia?
o Difficulty swallowing (solids and liquids) | o Differentiate from painful swallowing (Odynophagia)
26
What are two broad categories of dysphagia?
Difficulty initating swallow | Food sticking in oesophagus
27
Give five causes of bleeding from oesophagus (haematemesis)
``` o Acute/chronic peptic ulcer o Mallory-Weiss tear  Tear in oesophagus from repetitive retching o Oesophageal/Gastric Varices o Erosive Oesophagitis o Gastric/Oesophageal cancer ```
28
Give six causes of rectal bleeding
``` o Angiodysplasia  Vascular malformation of the gut blood vessels o Diverticular disease o Colonic carcinoma o Haemorrhoids/Anal fissure o Inflammatory Bowel Disease o Massive upper GI bleed  Malaena ```
29
Give course for hepatic portal vein so superior vena cava
Hepatic portal vein -> Left gastric vein-> Oesophageal veins -> Azygous vein -> Upper extremities vein > SVC
30
Give five causes of abdominal distension
``` The five F's o Fat o Fluid o Faeces o Flatus o Foetus ```
31
Give three cause sof fluid ascites
Liver fialure Portal hypertension Cancer
32
Give two causes of flatulus
Aerophagia (air swallowing) | Gas production in gut