The beginning of the digestive process starts with the smell and sight of food which activate the salivary glands. The mouth is the point at which food enters the digestive tract and continues the digestive process by chewing food. The food is then broken down into pieces and moistened by salivary glands which turn food into a bolus. The bolus goes down the pharynx into the esophagus which connects the pharynx to the stomach. The stomach is an organ that mixes food and secretes gastric juice. The bolus, once in the stomach, is mixed into a semiliquid mass called chime. The stomach is close together with the liver and pancreas but does not get assistance from these organs. The chime then enters…
But that doesn’t stop people from trying. In 2010, the American College of Physicians estimated that of the more than 133 million courses of antibiotics prescribed in the United States each year, as many as 50% are prescribed for colds and other viral infections. What’s more, many patients who are prescribed antibiotics for bacterial infections use them improperly. Taking only part of a prescribed dose, for example, can spare some harmful bacteria living in the body, and those bacteria that survive are often heartier and more resistant to the antibiotic than the ones that were killed. Such overuse and misuse of antibiotics have led to an epi- demic of such antibiotic-resistance, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls “one of the world’s most pressing public health problems.”…
During the time that I provided care for this patient, she was able to use the bathroom without any difficulty. Also, I asked her simple questions to bring up the topic about urine and fecal incontinence. When I asked her, if her urine came out by itself, such as; when she cough, laugh, or had the urge to urinate? The patient stated that she has experienced minimal incontinence only when she coughs and laughs. Additionally, she expressed that during night time she get up two to three times to urinate, but it was not difficult since her bathroom is in her room. Patient indicated that she hasn’t experienced any fecal incontinence since all her life has suffered from mild constipation…
Fecal incontinence (FI) is a medical condition that can be socially crippling and devastating. It is defined as the recurrent uncontrolled passage of stool for at least 1 month. (1) This condition will cause patients to literally stay locked in their homes and can be a major deciding factor for placing loved ones into a nursing home. (2) It true incidence of this condition varies greatly due to the negative stigmata and loss of autonomy associated it. The median prevalence of FI is 7.7% with a range of 2 – 21%. It affects both males and females equally and it increases with age. (3) Risk factors for developing FI include parous females, patients with cognitive or…
Every year millions of Americans get an infection in the stomach called Clostridium difficile (aka C-diff). There are antibiotics that can cure it but in the past they haven’t worked as well as expected. They kill off the infection but in the process it destroys good bacteria too. This can cause another infection in the future because your body isn’t powerful enough to prevent it. There are other cures to C-diff too, like fecal transplants. This is the process where stool from a healthy donor is inserted in the colon to prevent another infection. It also restores good bacteria to the body. The only downside is that this procedure is expensive and is a very uncomfortable process. To solve this problem, Dr. Thomas Louie and…
Captain Picard and his submarine has just been shrunk and placed in a glass of root beer soda…
Fecal coliform is bacteria found in human and animal waste. It can enter our rivers and streams from direct discharge from animals, storm runoff, and human sewage. Some of the sources for human sewage include septic systems from waterfront property, boats that have improper plumbing, and municipal sewer systems that overflow. Water that contains fecal coliform can be harmful to the environment by reducing dissolved oxygen levels. This may reduce the oxygen level enough to kill fish and other aquatic life. In high concentrations, fecal coliform can also cause illness in people that consume the aquatic life.…
A.“Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) is a bacterium that may develop due to the prolonged use of antibiotics during healthcare treatments.” 1…
Kelly, C. P., & LaMont, J. T. (2011, September ). Patient information: Antibiotic-associated diarrhea (Clostridium difficile). Retrieved December 04, 2011, from Up-To-Date.com: http://www.uptodate.com/contents/patient-information-antibiotic-associated-diarrhea-clostridium-difficile?source=search_result&search=c+diff&selectedTitle=1%7E10…
A rectal prolapse happens when the inside of the final section of your large intestine (rectum) pushes out through your anal opening. This can result from weakened muscles that attach the rectum to the inside of your lower belly. Then, the lower part of your rectum turns inside out.…
Though this may not be the most popular topic to discuss, one of the latest wellness treatments available is a coffee enema. It is important to discover what this treatment offers to the body, and also what type of effects it will have.…
After some research I firmly believe colon cleansing doesn’t improve our general health and is voodoo science. I will soon give evidences of the reasons.…
Intestinal malrotation is a birth defect affecting 1 in 500 individuals. 75 to 90% of individuals diagnosed with intestinal malrotation are babies under the age of one year. Most of these cases needs medical emergency treatment. These babies experience pain resulting in a constantly crying baby that places a severe physical and emotional stress and anxiety on their carers. Some babies will die from medical complications as a result of that birth defect. The lesser percentage of intestinal malrotation cases will reach adulthood with varying degrees of clinical symptoms such as painful abdomens bloating, constipation, vomiting and other agonising gastrointestinal signs. Modern diagnostic technology and the less invasive surgery techniques are…
Children are influenced relatively easily, and these influences can sometimes lead to a desire for a future career. As a child, I spent a good two and a half weeks in hospitals with a very low hemoglobin and an unknown cause for vomiting blood. During these weeks I met surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists, and specifically Gastroenterologists. Every day that I was in the hospital I fell in love with the idea of becoming a surgeon.…
Clostridium difficile (C-difficile) is a common bacterium that is a frequent cause of infection in the colon and effects numerous patients. Clostridium difficile increases the hospital costs associated with inpatient care, including identification of the organism as well as treatment. The most common cause of C-difficile infection is the elimination of normal intestinal flora caused by antibiotic use. Standard treatment of C-difficile infection includes the use of oral (Flagyl) and intravenous (Vancomycin) antibiotic therapy. The use of fecal transplantation to treat C-difficile infection is increasing in popularity. Research regarding fecal transplantation dates back to 1958; however, the efficacy of fecal transplant for the treatment of C-difficile are rapidly emerging with noted benefits for patients. The mere thought of presenting fecal transplantation for the treatment of a C-difficile infection is often dismissed because of limited available evidence and the concerns about using someone else’s stool to treat the infection. The necessity to educate patients with C-difficile is an additional challenge. Potential donors and recipients need to be assured of minimal risks associated with the screening and transplantation process. The ability to educate society on the results of evidence-based practice regarding the treatment of C-difficile with fecal transplantation should minimize concerns and enhance patient outcomes. The creation of a patient education programs is increasingly beneficial when multiple health care professionals and interdisciplinary teams are involved. Thus, a project objective in implementing an educational patient program for fecal transplantation is the creation of an informative brochure for potential use in the Endoscopy Department at Sharp Memorial Hospital by December 2014. The…