Pediatric GI Disorders

Vocabulary flashcards covering the pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, diagnostic evaluations, and interventions for key pediatric gastrointestinal disorders.

Constipation

A delay or difficulty in defecation that has been present for 2 or more weeks.

Encopresis

Repeated, involuntary fecal soiling or defecation in a child older than 4 years of age with normal colon and rectal anatomy, typically resulting from chronic constipation and recurrent fecal impaction.

Secondary Encopresis

Fecal incontinence that develops after an established period of fecal continence; psychologic stress or abuse should be suspected when a child presents with this condition.

Gastrointestinal Tenesmus

A persistent, painful urge to defecate, commonly occurring alongside diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and fever in toxic gastroenteritis.

Severe Dehydration

A critical fluid deficit manifested by tachycardia, bradycardia (severe), thready pulse, rapid and deep respirations, markedly decreased blood pressure (hypovolemic shock), parched mucous membranes, absent tears, tenting skin turgor, cold/mottled/cyanotic extremities, and minimal urine output.

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

A severe and chronic form of reflux causing complications such as esophagitis, failure to thrive (FTT), irritability, frequent back arching, and vomiting in infants and children.

Hirschsprung Disease

A congenital condition (also termed congenital aganglionosis or megacolon) characterized by the failure of hindgut ganglion cells to migrate to the rectum, resulting in an absence of peristalsis, a nonrelaxing internal anal sphincter, and functional bowel obstruction.

Suction Rectal Biopsy

The definitive diagnostic test for Hirschsprung disease in which a small core or punch sample containing all layers of bowel mucosa is evaluated for the absence of ganglion cells.

Celiac Disease

A lifelong malabsorption disorder (gluten enteropathy) caused by an inability to digest gliadin, leading to the accumulation of toxic glutamine, atrophy of intestinal mucosal villi, and impaired absorption of fats, carbohydrates, and vitamins.

Celiac Crisis

An acute, life-threatening complication of celiac disease resulting from sudden glutamine accumulation and rapid destruction of mucosal cells, leading to profuse watery diarrhea, vomiting, severe dehydration, and metabolic acidosis.

Appendicitis

Inflammation and infection of the vermiform appendix at the cecum, commonly initiated by luminal obstruction from lymphoid swelling, impacted fecal material, foreign bodies, or parasites.

McBurney's Point

The specific right lower quadrant abdominal landmark where pain characteristically localizes, accompanied by guarding and rebound tenderness, in acute appendicitis.

Appendix Rupture

A surgical emergency marked by a sudden, unexpected cessation of abdominal pain without pain medication; it indicates perforation of the appendix rather than clinical improvement.

Esophageal Atresia (EA) and Tracheoesophageal Fistula (TEF)

Congenital anomalies where the esophagus terminates in a blind pouch (atresia) and/or forms an abnormal communication with the trachea (fistula), presenting a severe neonatal risk of aspiration.

The "Three Cs" of TEF

Coughing, choking with feedings, and cyanosis; the classic triad of signs in a newborn that indicates suspected tracheoesophageal fistula or esophageal atresia.

Chalasia Board

A specialized positioning board used to maintain an infant at a 30-degree angle while supine in order to decrease reflux and minimize the risk of aspiration.

Cleft Lip

A congenital craniofacial malformation caused by the failure of the medial nasal and maxillary processes to join at 6 to 8 weeks of gestation, presenting as a notched vermilion border or full cleft.

Cleft Palate

A congenital defect caused by failure of the primary palatal processes to fuse at 7 to 12 weeks of gestation, resulting in an abnormal opening between the oral and nasal cavities involving the uvula and soft or hard palates.

Latham Device

A removable orthopedic appliance used preoperatively in infants with cleft defects to expand, realign palatal segments, and reduce the width of a wide lip cleft.

Strangulated Hernia

A surgical emergency where an incarcerated hernia has its blood supply cut off, leading to acute ischemia and necrosis if not promptly corrected via surgery.

Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH)

A congenital malformation where abdominal contents herniate through an opening in the diaphragm into the thoracic cavity, causing pulmonary hypoplasia and severe neonatal respiratory distress.

Umbilical Hernia

An abnormal protrusion of abdominal contents through the umbilical ring; it can be self-limiting or may require elective surgical repair.

Intussusception

A pediatric emergency characterized by the invagination or telescoping of a bowel segment into the lumen of the distal bowel (commonly the terminal ileum into the ascending colon), causing obstruction, edema, and mesenteric ischemia.

Currant Jelly Stool

Feces mixed with blood and mucus produced during intussusception as a result of venous engorgement, edema, and bowel wall ischemia.

Diagnostic Air Enema

A radiological procedure that simultaneously confirms the diagnosis and achieves hydrostatic/pneumatic reduction of intussusception, potentially avoiding the need for surgery.

Hypertrophic Pyloric Stenosis

Hypertrophy of the circular muscle surrounding the pylorus resulting in constriction of the pyloric canal, high-level gastric outlet obstruction, and characteristic progressive nonbilious projectile vomiting.

Pyloromyotomy

The definitive surgical intervention for hypertrophic pyloric stenosis, involving longitudinal incision of the hypertrophied pyloric muscle down to the mucosa to relieve gastric outlet obstruction.