Essa

Alimentary System 1.1 – The burden of GI diseases

• List the names of the organs of the alimentary tract

• Mouth and Oesophagus • Stomach • Liver • Biliary system • Pancreas • Small intestine (consisting of duodenum, jejunum and ileum) • Large intestine (consisting of colon, rectum and anus)

• Describe the symptoms and signs of alimentary tract disease

Symptoms:

General: • Anorexia • Weight loss • Anaemia

Upper GI: • Haemotemesis (vomiting blood) • Melaena (blood in the stool, black as partially digested) • Nausea and vomiting • Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing, food gets stuck on way down) • Odynophagia (pain on swallowing) • Heartburn, acid regurgitation, belching • Chest pain (heartburn, oesophageal reflux) • Epigastric pain

Liver and biliary: • Right upper quadrant (RUQ) pain • Biliary colic • Jaundice (accompanied by icterus – yellowing of the sclera) • Dark urine/pale stools • Abdominal distension (Ascites)

Mid GI and pancreas: • Abdominal pain • Diarrhoea • Steatorrhoea (failure to remove fat from gut content) • Distension

Lower GI: • Abdominal pain • Bleeding – bright red stool • Constipation • Diarrhoea • Incontinence

Signs:

General: • Cachexia (severe weight loss) • Obesity • Lymphadenopathy (growth of nodes) • Anaemia • Jaundice • Palmar erythema • Spider navi • Stigmata of chronic liver disease

Hands: • Koilinychia (spooned shaped nail) • Leuconychia (white nail) • Clubbing • Dupuytreal contracture (little and ring fingers curl in on themselves) • Tachycardia • Tremor

Abdomen: • Organ enlargement • Mass • Tenderness • Distension

Anus and rectum: •