Vocabulary Flashcards
Acute Abdomen
Sudden onset of abdominal pain, usually indicating peritonitis; demanding immediate medical or surgical intervention
Acute Gastroenteritis
A family of conditions that revolve around a central theme of infection with fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting
Anal Fissures
Linear tears to the mucosal lining in and near the anus, possibly caused by the passage of large, hard stools; a cause of lower gastrointestinal bleeding
Appendicitis
Inflammation of the appendix
Ascites
Abdominal edema typically signaling liver failure
Biliary Tract Disorders
A group of disorders that involve inflammation of the gallbladder; these include cholangitis, cholelithiasis, cholecystitis, and acalculous cholecystitis
Boerhaave Syndrome
Forceful vomiting that results in a tear in the esophagus that extends entirely through the esophageal wall, creating a hole
Borborygmi
A bowel sound characterized by increased activity within the bowel; also caused hyperperistalsis
Cholangitis
Inflammation of the bile duct
Cholelithiasis
The presence of stones within the gallbladder
Cholecystitis
Inflammation of the gallbladder
Cirrhosis
Early failure of the liver, characterized by portal hypertension, coagulation deficiencies, and diminished detoxification
Crohn Disease
Inflammation of the ileum and possibly other portions of the gastrointestinal tract, in which the immune system attacks portions of the intestinal walls, causing them to become scarred, narrowed, stiff, and weakened
Diarrhea
Liquid stool
Digestion
The mechanical and chemical breakdown of the large molecules in food into small molecules that can be absorbed into the gastrointestinal tract and converted to energy for cellular function
Diverticulitis
Inflammation of pouches in the colon; the pouches form as a result of difficulty moving feces through the colon. Bacteria can become trapped in the pouches, leading to inflammation and infection
Diverticulum
A weak area in the colon that begins to have small outcroppings that turn into pouches; plural is diverticula
Endoscopy
Insertion of a flexible fiberoptic tube into the esophagus to visualize, remove, or repair damaged or diseased tissue
Epigastric
The region of the abdomen directly inferior to the xiphoid process and superior to the umbilicus
Esophagitis
Inflammation of the esophagus
Esophagogastric Varices
Dilated blood vessels of the esophagus, commonly caused by difficulty in blood flow through the liver, the presence of these can lead to vessel rupture
Feculent
Smelling of feces
Fistula
An abnormal connection between two cavities
Gastritis
A preulcerative state where the stomach is inflamed, but erosions have not yet occured