| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Vomiting | the forceful emptying of the stomach effected by gastrointestinal contraction and reverse peristalsis of the esophagus. It is usually preceded by nausea and retching |
| Constipation | frequently caused by unhealthy dietary and bowel habits combined with lack of exercise. Can also result from a disorder that impairs intestinal motility or obstructs the intestinal lumen |
| Diarrhea | caused by excessive fluid drawn into the intestinal lumen by osmosis (osmotic diarrhea), excessive secretion of fluids by the intestinal mucosa (secretory diarrhea), or excessive gastrointestinal motility |
| Abdominal pain | caused by stretching, inflammation, or ischemia (insufficient blood supply) |
| Hematemesis | vomiting of blood |
| melena | dark, tarry stools - chronic blood loss |
| hematochezia | frank bleeding from the rectum - bright red |
| Dysphagia | difficulty in swallowing |
| Mechanical or functional obstruction of the esophagus results in | dysphagia |
| Achalasia | functional dysphagia caused by loss of esophageal innervation |
| Gastroesophageal reflux | regurgitation of chyme from the stomach into the esophagus |
| Hiatal hernia | protrusion of the upper part of the stomach through esophageal opening in the diaphragm at the gastroesophageal junction |
| Pyloric obstruction | caused by a congenital defect, inflammation and scarring secondary to a gastric ulcer, or tumor growth - narrowing/blockage of pylorus |
| Fluid and electrolyte losses, hypovolemia, shock, intestinal necrosis, and perforation of the intestinal wall | Consequences of intestinal obstruction |
| Gastritis | acute or chronic inflammation of the gastric mucosa |
| Regurgitation of bile, use of antiinflammatory drugs or alcohol, and some systemic diseases | Gastritis: possible causes |
| Chronic gastritis | Can result in gastric atrophy and decreased secretion of hydrochloric acid, pepsinogen, and intrinsic factor |
| Gastric ulcers | develop in antrum near parietal cells and tend to become chronic |
| Ischemic stress ulcers | develop suddenly after severe illness, systemic trauma, or neural injury. Ulceration follows mucosal damage caused by ischemia (decreased blood flow to the gastric mucosa). |
| Cushing ulcer | stress ulcer caused by head trauma - by overstimulation of the vagal nuclei |
| Postgastrectomy syndromes | dumping syndrome, alkaline reflux gastritis, afferent loop obstruction, diarrhea, weight loss, and anemia are examples of: |
| Dumping syndrome | rapid emptying of chyme into the small intestine. It causes an osmotic shift of fluid from the vascular compartment to the intestinal lumen, which decreases plasma volume |
| Alkaline reflux gastritis | stomach inflammation caused by the reflux of bile and pancreatic secretions from the duodenum into the stomach. These substances disrupt the mucosal barrier and cause inflammation. |
| Afferent loop obstruction | obstruction of the duodenal stump on the proximal side of a gastrojejunostomy. Biliary and pancreatic secretions accumulate in the stump, causing distention, intermittent pain, and vomiting |
| Malabsorption syndromes | result in impaired digestion or absorption of nutrients |
| Pancreatic insufficiency | causes malabsorption associated with impaired digestion |
| Bile salt deficiency | causes fat malabsorption and steatorrhea (fatty stools) |
| Inadequate secretion of bile, excessive bacterial deconjugation of bile, or impaired reabsorption of bile salts caused by ileal disease can lead to | bile salt deficiency |
| Ulcerative colitis | inflammatory disease that causes ulceration, abscess formation, and necrosis of the colonic and rectal mucosa |
| Cramping pain, bleeding, frequent diarrhea, dehydration, and weight loss accompany severe forms of | ulcerative colitis |
| Crohn disease | affects both the large and small intestines and ulceration tends to involve all the layers of the lumen |
| Abdominal tenderness, nonbloody diarrhea, and weight loss are the usual symptoms | Crohn Disease |
| "Skip lesion" fissures and granulomas are characteristic | Crohn Disease |
| Diverticula | outpouchings of colonic mucosa through the muscle layers of the colon wall |
| Associated with occlusion or obstruction of the mesenteric vessels or insufficient arterial blood flow | Vascular insufficiency |
| resulting ischemia and necrosis produce abdominal pain, fever, bloody diarrhea, hypovolemia, and shock. | Vascular insufficiency |
| Diarrhea | Increased frequency and volume (2-3 consecutive days) of stool |
| Ascites | accumulation and sequestration of fluid in the peritoneal cavity, often as a result of portal hypertension and decreased concentrations of plasma proteins |
| Portal hypertension and decreased concentrations of plasma proteins result in | ascites |
| Hepatic encephalopathy | impaired cerebral function caused by blood-borne toxins (particularly ammonia) not metabolized by the liver |
| Manifestations include confusion and asterixis (flapping tremor of the hands) to loss of consciousness, coma, and death | Hepatic encephalopathy |
| Jaundice (icterus) | yellow or greenish pigmentation of the skin or sclera of the eyes caused by increases in plasma bilirubin concentration (hyperbilirubinemia) |
| Hemolytic jaundice | caused by destruction of red blood cells at a rate that exceeds the liver's ability to metabolize unconjugated bilirubin |
| Hepatorenal syndrome | functional kidney failure caused by advanced liver disease, particularly cirrhosis with portal hypertension |
| Renal failure | caused by a sudden decrease in blood flow to the kidneys, usually caused by massive gastrointestinal hemorrhage or liver failure. Its chief clinical manifestation is oliguria |
| Viral hepatitis (Stage 1) | Fever, malaise, anorexia, and liver enlargement and tenderness characterize the prodromal phase |
| Viral hepatitis (Stage 2) | Jaundice and hyperbilirubinemia mark the icteric phase |
| Fulminant hepatitis | causes widespread hepatic necrosis and is often fatal. |
| Cirrhosis | disease of the liver that causes disorganization of lobular structure, fibrosis, and nodular regeneration |
| Can result from hepatitis or exposure to toxins, such as acetaldehyde | cirrhosis |
| Alcoholic cirrhosis | impaired hepatocyte ability to oxidize fatty acids, synthesize enzymes and proteins, degrade hormones, and clear portal blood of ammonia and toxins. |
| Excessive collagen formation, fibrosis, and scarring, which obstruct bile canaliculi and sinusoids. Bile obstruction causes jaundice. Vascular obstruction causes portal hypertension, shunting, and varices. | Alcoholic cirrhosis |
| Primary biliary cirrhosis | destruction of intrahepatic bile ducts |
| Secondary biliary cirrhosis | prolonged obstruction of bile flow with increased pressure in the hepatic bile ducts that causes pooling of bile and necrosis of tissue |
| Cholelithiasis | result of the aggregation of cholesterol crystals (cholesterol stones) or precipitates of unconjugated bilirubin (pigmented stones) |
| Cholecystitis | an inflammation of the gallbladder |
| Acute pancreatitis | Idiopathic injury of the pancreatic ducts or acini. permits leakage of digestive enzymes into pancreatic tissue, where they become activated and begin the process of autodigestion, inflammation, and destruction of tissues. |
| Chronic pancreatitis | results from structural or functional impairment of the pancreas |
| Esophageal Cancer | associated with alcohol and tobacco use, reflux esophagitis, and nutritional deficiencies. Tends to occur in people >60 |
| Gastric carcinoma | associated with high salt intake, food preservatives (nitrates, nitrites), and atrophic gastritis |
| Colorectal cancer | second most common cause of cancer death |
| Primary liver cancers | associated with chronic liver disease (cirrhosis, hepatitis) |
Combine with other sets
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