Gastrointestinal Disorders and Surgical Nursing Review

Vocabulary flashcards generated from the lecture transcripts covering upper and lower gastrointestinal disorders, surgeries, diagnostic markers, pharmacological treatments, and parenteral nutrition.

Achalasia

A motility disorder of the esophagus characterized by impaired peristalsis and failure of the lower esophageal sphincter to relax, leading to dysphagia, regurgitation, heartburn, and potential aspiration or esophageal perforation.

Dysphagia

Difficulty in swallowing, characterized by the sensation of food getting stuck in the lower esophagus before passing into the stomach.

Esophageal Myotomy

A surgical procedure for achalasia where muscle fibers in the lower esophagus are cut and the area dilated to relieve pressure and facilitate swallowing.

Hiatal Hernia

A condition in which an enlarged esophageal opening allows part of the upper stomach to bulge upward into the lower esophagus, classified into sliding (Type 1) and paraesophageal (Type 2) forms.

Stage 4 Hiatal Hernia

The most severe classification of hiatal herniation, involving extensive displacement of the stomach and potentially other organs such as the colon or spleen.

Zenker Diverticulum

The most common form of esophageal diverticulum, involving an outpouching of the esophageal mucosa and submucosa in the upper esophagus, presenting with neck fullness, belching, regurgitation, coughing, and gurgling noises after eating.

Esophageal Perforation

A medical emergency involving a rupture of the esophagus wall that manifests with excruciating retrosternal pain, dysphagia, fever, leukocytosis, severe hypotension, and massive bleeding.

GERD Lifestyle Modifications

Non-pharmacological measures to reduce reflux, including low-fat diets, avoiding caffeine, tobacco, beer, milk, peppermint, spearmint, and carbonated drinks, elevating the head of the bed, and avoiding food or drink within 2 hours of bedtime.

Nissen Fundoplication

A surgical procedure for severe gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) where part of the gastric fundus is wrapped around the lower esophagus to reinforce the sphincter.

Barrett's Esophagus

A condition caused by chronic reflux where normal esophageal squamous lining cells are altered to resemble intestinal epithelium, presenting a major risk factor for esophageal cancer.

Radiofrequency Ablation

A targeted medical procedure used in Barrett's esophagus with high-grade dysplasia to thermally destroy precancerous tissue cells.

Sister Mary Joseph Nodules

Palpable metastatic tumor nodules surrounding the umbilicus, serving as a distinct clinical sign of advanced gastrointestinal malignancy, particularly gastric cancer.

Stress-Related Gastritis

Acute mucosal damage resulting from major physiological stress such as severe burns, major surgery, severe infections, or hepatic, renal, or respiratory failure.

Gastric Ulcer Pain

Epigastric pain associated with gastric peptic ulcers that characteristically occurs immediately after eating.

Duodenal Ulcer Pain

Epigastric pain associated with duodenal peptic ulcers that occurs 2 to 3 hours after meals and frequently awakens the patient during the night.

H. Pylori Eradication Regimen

A combination drug therapy lasting 10 to 14 days that includes multiple antibiotics, a proton pump inhibitor, and bismuth salts to clear Helicobacter pylori infection in peptic ulcer disease.

Total Gastrectomy

Surgical excision of the entire stomach, part of the duodenum, lower esophagus, and supporting lymph nodes, performed for advanced gastric cancer.

Tenesmus

Ineffective, painful straining and an urgent desire to evacuate the rectum, often resulting in the passage of little or no stool.

Functional Constipation

The most common form of constipation, unrelated to structural or systemic disease, which responds primarily to increased intake of dietary fiber and fluids.

Loperamide (Imodium)

An antidiarrheal medication used as a first-line treatment for diarrhea due to its efficacy and minimal side effects.

Diphenoxylate with Atropine (Lomotil)

A potent antidiarrheal combination agent reserved for cases where first-line therapies fail, requiring careful administration due to anticholinergic side effects from atropine.

Alosetron (Lotronex)

A 5-HT3 receptor antagonist used specifically to treat diarrhea-predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS-D) by slowing colonic transit time.

Celiac Disease

A chronic, lifelong autoimmune disorder triggered by gluten ingestion, leading to small intestine inflammation, steatorrhea, diarrhea, abdominal distension, and nutritional deficiencies.

Steatorrhea

The excretion of abnormally fatty, bulky, and foul-smelling stools due to intestinal malabsorption.

Peritonitis

Inflammation of the abdominal cavity lining and peritoneum caused by bacterial, fungal, or chemical irritation, presenting with diffuse pain, rigid abdominal muscles, rebound tenderness, and fever.

Appendicitis

Acute inflammation of the vermiform appendix presenting with vague periumbilical pain that progresses to localized right lower quadrant (RLQ) abdominal pain.

Hinchey Staging System

A classification system (Stages 1 through 4) used to categorize the severity of complicated diverticulitis and guide surgical management.

Crohn's Disease

A chronic inflammatory bowel disease that can affect any part of the GI tract, featuring transmural mucosal inflammation, skip lesions, a 'cobblestone' appearance, and potential string sign on X-rays.

Ulcerative Colitis

A chronic inflammatory disease affecting the mucosal layer of the colon and rectum, characterized by continuous lesions, bloody diarrhea, left lower quadrant pain, tenesmus, and risk of toxic megacolon.

String Sign

A diagnostic radiographic appearance on barium studies in Crohn's disease showing severe segment narrowing in the distal ileum.

Toxic Megacolon

A massive, dangerous dilation of the colon occurring as a complication of ulcerative colitis that requires surgical emergency intervention if unresponsive to treatment within 72 hours.

Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN)

Intravenous administration of essential nutrients, amino acids, dextrose, and electrolytes delivered via a high-flow central venous catheter for patients who cannot maintain oral or enteral nutrition.

Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA)

A blood tumor marker utilized as a baseline and ongoing monitoring tool for colorectal cancer progression and treatment response.

Right-Sided Colorectal Cancer Lesions

Tumors situated in the ascending colon that typically present with dull abdominal pain and melena (black tarry stools).

Left-Sided Colorectal Cancer Lesions

Tumors located in the descending colon that present with abdominal cramping, narrowed stools, constipation, distension, and bright red blood in the stool.