| Definition |
Cause(s) |
Symptom(s)/Manifestation(s) |
Treatment |
Intervention/Education |
|
| GERD |
(gastroesophageal reflux disease) reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus, which can cause esophagitis and heart burn |
|
|
||
| Gastroparesis |
delayed gastric emptying of
solids (not liquids) |
|
|
(refer to GERD tx) |
|
| Achalasia |
motor disorder affecting the
esophagus, which is a complex neurological condition that causes
incomplete relaxation of LES after
swallowing |
|
|
|
|
| Scleroderma |
-- |
|
--
|
||
| Gastrectomy |
partial or total resection of
the stomach |
sometimes required for tx of
gastric cancer |
|
--
|
|
| Short Bowel
Syndrome |
sometimes required in Chron
disease, necrotizing enterocolitis, congenital atresias, acute
volvulus, strangulated hernias, mesenteric artery occlusion, and
similar disorders |
|
|
||
| Celiac Disease |
refer
to details for causes and symptoms |
genetic disorder that results
from an immune reaction to the gliadin portion
of gluten
(protein found in wheat) |
decrease in the length of the
villi and in the surface area of the bowel, and the capacity for
digesting disaccharides (sucrose & lactose) and peptides
|
||
| Chron Disease |
regional ileitis, inflammation
though all layers of the bowel wall (most commonly affects terminal
ileum) |
--
|
-drug treatment (such as corticosteroids, antidiarrheals, and antispasmodics) -possible surgery |
||
| Ulcerative
Colitis |
congestion, edema and
ulcerations in the mucosal and submucosal layers of the bowel (usually
involves rectum and colon and sometimes extends to the ileum |
--
|
bloody diarrhea, abdominal and
rectal pain, weight loss, and anorexia |
refer
to tx for Chrons above |
|
| Irritable
Bowel Syndrome (IBS) |
relatively common functional
disorder characterized by symptoms related to the colon |
unclear may include allergic/ hypersensitivity reactions, psychosocial factors, or altered GI motility |
-keep diary of symptoms to
reveal precipitating causes of bouts of IBS -drug therapy -psychological support and intervention |
||
| Pancreatitis |
inflammation, edema and necrosis
of the pancreas as a result of digestion of the pancreas by enzymes normally
secreted by the pancreas |
-pain in the epigastric region,
persistent vomiting, abdominal rigidity, and elevated serum
amylase/lipase -malabsorption and decreased glucose tolerance are common in chronic pancreatitis |
- abstinence from alcohol - analgesics (pain relief) - pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy - stone removal or stent placement |
||
| Hepatitis |
virus, toxin, obstruction,
parasite, or drug (alcohol, chloroform, or carbon tetrachloride) |
-jaundice, abdominal pain,
hepatomegaly, nausea, vomiting, and anorexia -elevated serum levels of bilirubin, AST, SGOT, SL, SGPT, LDH common |
-remove cause, if known -antiviral treatment, if applicable |
||
| Nonalcoholic
Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) |
increasingly common cause of
liver dysfunction |
-rule out excessive
Etoh (alcohol) intake -dx with liver biopsy -higher prevalance among obese individuals -often associated with metabolic syndrome |
-no drug therapy exists -inconclusive results regarding antioxidant supplements (e.g. vitamin E) -good control of disorders associated with NASH (e.g. DM, hyperlipidemia) -med tx insulin resistance |
||
| Cirrhosis/Hepatic
Encephalopathy |
liver dysfunction/severe liver
dysfunction often resulting in intolerance to protein |
|
drug therapy (lactulose) |
||
| Hemochromatosis |
excessive iron is stored in
various organs, especially in the liver, pancreas, heart, gonads, skin,
and joints |
genetic disorder |
If untreated:
|