Upper GI Flashcards
Sx of dyspepsia
Epigastric pain or burning Early satiety and post-prandial fullness Belching Bloating Nausea Discomfort in upper abdomen
What leads to peptic ulcer disease?
Break in epithelial lining of stomach or duodenum
=>
damaged mucosa leads to ulcer formation
=>
increased H+ around ulcer leads to sx
=>
H. pylori, gastric acid, pepsin, NSAIDs make ulcers worse, also occurs more in men than women
Signs and sx of peptic ulcer disease
Epigastric tenderness, pointing sign (points to where pain is)
Recurrent epigastric pain related to eating, early satiety, N&V, potential anorexia and wt loss
Compare duodenal and gastric ulcers
Duodenal
- burning/gnawing sensation
- pain 2-3 hrs after eating
- often overeat/wt gain
- commonly wakes pts at night more than gastric ulcers
Gastric
- burning/gnawing sensation
- pain shortly after eating
- often avoid eating/wt loss
RFs for peptic ulcer disease
H. pylori NSAIDs Smoking Burns (leads to Curling ucler) Head trauma (leads to Cushing ulcer) Zollinger-Ellison syndrome
How do NSAIDs cause ulcers?
Ibuprofen, aspirin, naproxen all inhibit COX-1, supprressing gastrin prostaglandin synthesis
Barrier properties of GI mucosa imparied so reduction of gastric mucosal blood flow, preventing repair
Insidious increased with age, look out for MI + stroke patients on aspirin treatment
How do H. pylori cause ulcers?
Gram-neg. flagellate bacterium often found in developing countries that causes inflammation of stomach and duodenum
What is Zollinger-Ellison syndrome?
Neuroendocrine tumour in pancreas producing gastrin thus an increase in gastric acid secretion, leading to hypertrophy of gastric mucosa and stimulation acid secreting cells, causing damaged mucosa and ulceration
Associated with MEN1 and 90% pts with this syndrome form ulcers
Red flag signs
Vomiting Early satiety Dysphagia Anaemia Bleeding Wt loss
Ix for peptic ulcers
< 55 + no red flags
= breath test/stool antigen
= FBC*, stool occult blood, serum gastrin
*(only carry out if other causes/complications suspected)
> 55 + red flags or tx failed = UGI endoscopy (most specific and sensitive test) = histology + biopsy urease testing (is it neoplastic?) = repeat endoscopy after 6-8 weeks (confirm resolution and exclude malignancy)
Mx for peptic ulcers
RF modification
- diet: less alcohol, avoid foods that cause sx
- smoking cessation
Pharmacological
- H. pylori +ve => triple therapy
- H. pylori -ve => PPI ‘-prazole’/H2 antagonist ‘-tidine’
- treat any anaemia => ferrous fumarate
What’s triple therapy?
PPI
Clarithromycin
Amoxicillin or metronidazole
Complications of ulcers
Perforate
- NBM, IV Abx, surgery (pneumoperitoneum on CXR)
Bleed
- endoscopy +/- therapy, IV PPI, +/- blood transfusion
Signs and sx of gastric cancer
Palpable epigastric mass, Sister Mary Joseph node (metastatic nodule on umbilicus), Virchow’s node/Troisier’s sign (lympahdenopathy in left supraclavicular fossa)
Epigastric pain, wt loss, anorexia, N&V +/- blood
RFs for gastric cancer
Smoking
H. Pylori
Chronic gastritis (i.e. peptic ulcer disease)
Male
GORD sx
Oesophageal sx
- retrosternal burning after eating
- discomfort lying supine
- regurgitation into pharynx
- dysphagia (1/3 of pts)
Non-oesophageal sx
- cough/wheeze (aspiration of stomach contents into tracheobronchial)
- hoarseness/sore throat (irritation of focal chords)
- non-cardiac chest pain (oesophagus builds pressure)
- enamal erosion or other dental manifestations (HCl in mouth)
RFs for GORD
Increased abdo pressure
- obesity, pregnancy
Lower oesophageal sphincter hypotension
- drugs: anti-muscarinics, CCBs, nitrates, smoking
- tx of achalasia, hiatus hernia
Gastric hypersecretion
- diet, smoking, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome
Who is a hiatus hernia?
Stomach prolapses through diaphragmatic oesophageal hiatus, predispoing to reflux/worsening existing reflux
Cause: increased intraabdo pressure, defect in wall
RFs: abdominal ascites, obesity, pregnancy, loss w/ age, muscle weakening of elasticity
Ix pathway for GORD
Clinical diagnosis (unless red flags) => PPI trial (diagnostic + therapeutic) => UGI endoscopy (if persists) => Biopsy (if oesophagitis/Barrett's) => Consider other tests (barium swallo, oesophageal capsule endoscopy, oesophageal manometry, ambulatory pH monitoring)
Ix and mx for hiatus hernia
Ix = barium swallow (shows outpouchings of barium at lower end of oesophagus), CXR, endoscopy
Mx = RF modification -> PPI/H2 antagnoist -> Nissen fundoplication (laprascopic)