GI and Blood Pathology Practice Quiz Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering core gastrointestinal and blood pathology concepts, clinical manifestations, and hematologic parameters from PHRM 3550.

Gastroparesis

A condition characterized by delayed emptying of stomach contents without mechanical obstruction, commonly caused by autonomic neuropathy in diabetes mellitus.

Melena

Dark, black, tarry feces resulting from gastrointestinal bleeding.

Cholecystitis

Acute or chronic inflammation of the gallbladder.

Crohn's disease

An inflammatory bowel condition that can feature extraintestinal manifestations outside the GI tract, involving the joints, skin, eyes, and other organs.

Gastric ulcer

An ulcer occurring in the stomach, often localized at the lesser curvature.

Intrinsic factor

A glycoprotein secreted by the stomach and present in gastric secretions.

Duodenal ulcer

A type of peptic ulcer that occurs more frequently than a gastric ulcer, often associated with Helicobacter pylori and smoking.

Bezoar

A solid mass of retained, undigested food that develops in the stomach, often seen in gastroparesis.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

A condition characterized by abdominal pain, bloating, and altered bowel habits alternating between diarrhea and constipation, without detectable structural damage.

Ulcerative colitis

An inflammatory condition that is restricted to the mucosa of the colon and rectum.

Osmotic diarrhea

A type of diarrhea caused by poorly absorbed dietary solutes in the intestinal lumen, such as in lactose intolerance.

Gastritis

Inflammation of the gastric mucosal lining of the stomach.

Heartburn

The most common symptom associated with reflux esophagitis.

Helicobacter pylori

A bacterial pathogen that acts as a cause of acid-peptic disease and serves as a major contributor to duodenal ulcers.

Cholesterol gallstones

The predominant composition of gallstones in the United States, formed when concentrated cholesterol precipitates from bile.

Vagotomy

Interruption of vagus nerve signaling that decreases or disrupts normal gastrointestinal motility.

Steatorrhea

The presence of abnormally large amounts of fat in the stool, consistent with maldigestion or malabsorption.

Hiatal hernia

Protrusion of the stomach above the diaphragm, which can serve as a cause of gastroesophageal reflux.

Lower esophageal sphincter

The muscular barrier whose loss of resting tone permits recurrent acid reflux into the esophagus.

Barrett's esophagus

Epithelial metaplasia caused by chronic gastroesophageal reflux that serves as a risk factor for adenocarcinoma.

White blood cells

Blood cells that serve as mediators of the immune response and are primarily involved in immune defense.

Erythropoietin

A peptide hormone produced by the kidneys that stimulates red blood cell production in the bone marrow in response to reduced oxygen delivery.

Erythrocytosis (polycythemia)

An excess of circulating red blood cells and an elevated hemoglobin concentration.

Thrombocytopenia

A deficiency of circulating platelets that impairs hemostasis and predisposes an individual to excessive bleeding.

Coagulation cascade activation

A secondary hemostatic response that limits bleeding through the enzymatic formation of a fibrin clot.

International Normalized Ratio (INR)

A standardized reporting measure for prothrombin time (PT) used to evaluate the extrinsic and common coagulation pathways and monitor warfarin therapy.

Hematopoiesis

The formation of blood cells, which occurs primarily from hematopoietic stem cells located in the bone marrow.

Neutrophils

White blood cells that act as the primary, first-line cellular defense against bacterial infections.

Vitamin K

An essential nutrient required for the gamma-carboxylation and activation of coagulation factors II, VII, IX, and X, as well as proteins C and S.

Aplastic anemia

A disorder characterized by a deficiency or failure of bone marrow blood-cell production.

Protein S

An anticoagulant cofactor that supports activated protein C in the inactivation of factor Va.

Hematocrit

An estimate of the proportion of total blood volume occupied by red blood cells.