stomach disorders Flashcards
Dyspepsia
Epigastric pain or burning, early satiety, sensation of fullness after eating
-Pain is in the upper abdomen, often recurrent
-With or without concurrent reflux symptoms
-EGD is warranted in patients over age 55yo with persistent symptoms
Why? worry about cancer
Dyspepsia tx
PPI trial (OTC PPIs OK) can be initiated
- Usually over a period of 4 weeks to determine if symptoms improve (“purple pill challenge”)
- H. pylori testing to be considered
Dyspepsia etiology
“Indigestion” caused by overeating, eating high fat or spicy foods, or drinking too much alcohol or coffee
Medications such as ASA, NSAIDs, antibiotics, etc.
Up to ¾ of all patients have no obvious organic cause for their symptoms
Stress, anxiety, food sensitivity, delayed gastric emptying
what is also present with Dyspepsia ??
PUD present in 5-15% of patients with dyspepsia
-H.pylori an unlikely cause unless in the presence of PUD
Pancreatic cancer (“sneaky jerk”, by time present, may already be advanced, takes time to enlarge, vague symptoms)
Dyspepsia dx
EGD should be performed, especially if over age 55yo
- Testing for celiac disease, parasites, fecal fat studies for malabsorption or pancreatic insufficiency
- CT for volvulus or pancreatic/biliary disease can be considered (threshold for getting CT lowered for older pop)
Dyspepsia tx
Empiric therapy should be initiated with a PPI
-If PUD is known, testing and treatment for H.pylori can be considered
-Consideration for antidepressants, especially if visceral sensitivity
Herbal therapies?
Psychotherapy?
case 1: 20 yo gymnast, gnawing epigastric pain, N.V, bright red blood in vomit, otherwise healthy, v. aggressive physical training schedule
consider eating disorder, ask about strict diets
mallory weiss tear in ddx (but she’s alarmed there’s blood)
gastritis
Gastritis
The most common cause of erosive gastropathy include:
Medications – especially NSAIDs (esp. w.out meals)
Alcohol
Stress – including medical and surgical too
And portal hypertension
Patients on ventilators should be given ??
Hospitalized patients are often given PPIs empirically – the draw back to the liberal use of *PPIs is an increased incidence of what other GI issue?
enteral feedings whenever possible to “coat” the stomach and reduce the risk of stress related bleeding
C. diff (now more selective)
gastritis s/s
Erosive gastritis is often asymptomatic
- When symptoms do occur they include epigastric pain, nausea, anorexia, vomiting, hematemesis, coffee ground emesis
- Hemodynamically significant bleeding is rare
gastritis lab findings
most sensitive test?
Lab findings are nonspecific, Possibly low HCT or iron deficiency
EGD is the most sensitive test for diagnosis
Intervention can be performed if there is a significant source of bleeding as well
case 2: 64 yo, nausea abdominal pain, now resolved, gastritis like symps, vague abd. discomfort esp. in morning
-suspect ??
You should consider testing for what else?
Suspecting an erosive gastritis, an EGD is performed and does not show any mucosal damage or inflammation.
H.pylori
Helicobacter pylori Gastritis
a gram-negative rod that resides beneath the mucosal layer adjacent to the gastric epithelial cells
- It is not an invasive organism but does cause mucosal inflammation
- vacA and cagA genes contribute to inflammatory properties
H. pylori presentation
Acute infection with H.pylori may cause a transient clinical illness followed by gastritis-like symptoms
-The majority of patients may have no symptoms at all of ongoing H.pylori infection, Mild diffuse disease only
H. pylori presentation 2
Around 15% of patients have involvement of the gastric antrum only but spares the omentum
- These patients are at increased risk of peptic ulcer disease
- Even less commonly some may have infection in the gastric body which can lead to destruction of acid-secreting glands and intestinal metaplasia: Association with MALT lymphoma (tx with PPIs and abx)