DIARRHEA

DIARRHEA Definition. Diarrhea is either an increased frequency or volume of stool per day; stool can also be defined as diarrhea if the number of stools per day is few, but their consistency is watery. Pathogenesis. The most common causes of diarrhea are of an infectious, antibiotic-associated, or lactose-intolerance etiology or from irritable...

Read More

INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE

INFLAMMATORY  BOWEL DISEASE Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a term comprising 2 disease entities: Crohn disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). They can be discussed simultaneously because of the large degree of overlap in...

Read More

Nonulcer Dyspepsia

Nonulcer Dyspepsia When all the causes of epigastric pain have been excluded and there is still pain, the diagnosis is functional or nonulcer dyspepsia. There is no specific therapy for nonulcer dyspepsia known to cure the disorder. Antacids of various types from H2 blockers to liquid antacids to PPIs are tried until something is found to relieve the...

Read More

Dumping Syndrome

Dumping Syndrome Pathogenesis. This is an increasingly rare disorder because of the rarity of the necessity for surgery in the treatment of ulcer disease. It was far more common in the past, when vagotomy and gastric resection were performed to treat severe ulcer disease. Dumping syndrome is caused by two phenomena. First, there is the rapid...

Read More

Gastroparesis

Gastroparesis Pathogenesis. Gastroparesis literally means the presence of a weak stomach. The most common association for gastroparesis is diabetes. Electrolyte problems with potassium, magnesium, and calcium can also weaken the musculature of the bowel wall. Clinical...

Read More

Barrett Esophagus

Barrett Esophagus Pathogenesis. Barrett esophagus is a complication of long-standing reflux disease. After sev- eral years of GERD, the epithelium of the lower esophagus undergoes histologic change from a normal squamous epithelium to a columnar  epithelium. Diagnosis. Patients with Barrett esophagus should have a repeat endoscopy every 2...

Read More

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease A 32-year-old man comes to the emergency department for substernal chest pain of 2 hours’ duration. He says that he sometimes gets this pain while lying in bed at night. He is otherwise free of symptoms, except for a nonproductive cough that he has had for the past month or so. His physical examination is unremarkable....

Read More