The beginning of the digestive process starts with the smell and sight of food which activate the salivary glands. The mouth is the point at which food enters the digestive tract and continues the digestive process by chewing food. The food is then broken down into pieces and moistened by salivary glands which turn food into a bolus. The bolus goes down the pharynx into the esophagus which connects the pharynx to the stomach. The stomach is an organ that mixes food and secretes gastric juice. The bolus, once in the stomach, is mixed into a semiliquid mass called chime. The stomach is close together with the liver and pancreas but does not get assistance from these organs. The chime then enters…
Which of these surgeries is used to create a permanent opening in the abdomen in order to feed a patient through a feeding tube?…
2. The tubelike digestive system canal that extends from the mouth to the anus is known as the canal or the digestive tract. it has an innermost layer that runs obliquely alimentary…
Patient 2: Two-day old male with low birth-weight (4lbs, 5oz), has difficulty suckling/swallowing, suffers from seizures and gastrointestinal bleeding.…
*J, a 2 week old Caucasian female, was diagnosed with Hirschsprung’s Disease. Hirschsprung’s Disease is a congenital condition where the large intestine becomes obstructed due to poor muscle movement in the bowel. Failure to pass meconium within the first 36 hours after birth indicated a bowel obstruction, and an exploratory laparotomy with sigmoid colon and ileal biopsy supported evidence of Hirschsprung’s Disease. Her recovery from ileostomy surgery and nutritional status is being evaluated for discharge. An ostomy pouch was used for the drainage of the intestinal waste, and a mucous fistula allowed passing of mucous and gasses from the non-functioning portion of the colon. The patient has no known drug allergies. Bacitracin 500units/g topical ointment is scheduled, and applied generously twice daily to the peristomal erythema surrounding the mucous fistula. Medications as needed include acetaminophen 37.5mg every 6 hours 1 to 3 times daily, and hydrocodone-acetaminophen 0.8ml every 4 hours for pain via nasogastric tube. Lanolin…
Kirsten, a 3-month-old infant, has begun to have frequent loose stools that progress to a watery diarrhea. She is unresponsive, with dry mucous membranes; sunken fontanelles; and little, if any, urine output. Respirations are rapid and the heart rate is elevated.…
Around the 19th century, experimental procedures and instruments were created to explore and observe the gastrointestinal tract and other orifices. After many attempts and a century later, medical advances in technology has improved the upper gastrointestinal endoscopy procedure where little discomfort is experienced and the procedure is non-invasive. When performing a gastrointestinal endoscopy the following are taken into consideration: preparation for the exam, reasons for the exam, and risk factors of the exam.…
Esophageal atresia is a problem that children are born with (congenital defect). There is a defect of the esophagus, the tube that carries food and liquid from the mouth to the stomach. The upper part of the esophagus that ends in a pouch does not connect to the lower part. This means your baby cannot eat or drink. Esophageal atresia repair is a surgical procedure to fix the defect in your baby's esophagus.…
Doctors have put healthy peoples fecal into a pill that helps a disease called Clostridium difficile, or C-diff. This disease cause abouot 14,000 to die every year. These fecal capsules have cured 27 patients with C-diff, while antibiotics failed to help. By taking this capsule, it can restore good bacterias and prevent reinfection. They are taken through colonscopies. It takes many pills to hold bacteria for treatment. An example of someone using the capsules, had her daughter as a donor, and she has felt better ever since. Huge potential is found in using these capsules, especially for hospitalized patients at risk and using normal…
Diarrhea is a complication of the alimentary or digestive system, a complication we all have faced one time or another. Ivan Damjanov’s Pathology for the Health Professions defines diarrhea as “the frequent passage of loose, watery stools because of intestinal or pancreatic and hepatobiliary disturbances” (Damjanov, 2012). The primary reason why diarrhea occurs is due to an increase in colonic fluid volume in the intestines. The increase in colonic fluid is a result of three physiologic mechanisms, which include active secretion, osmosis, and faulty water reabsorption.…
Hirschsprung disease, or Congenital Aganglionic Megacolon, is a congenital anomaly that comes from a physical obstruction due to the intestines not performing peristalsis. It accounts for ¼ of all cases of neonatal intestinal obstruction. The pathology of HD is because of the absence of ganglion cells in the affected areas of the intestine which results in a loss of rectosphincteric reflex and an abnormal environment of the cells of the infected intestine. The absence of ganglion cells, which are nerves outside of the central nervous system, results in a lack of nervous system stimulation. This decreases the internal sphincter’s ability…
JK report abdominal pain. The contour of the abdomen is flat, and symmetric. The umbilicus is midline with no lesion. The color is uniform to the rest of the skin. The bowel sound is active on all four quadrants, there is no venous bruit, and there is a tympany sound at the superior level and a dullness sound at the lower level, palpation show slight tenderness…
In 1792 James painted a portrait called, “A Voluptuary in the Horrors of Digestion.” A voluptuary is someone who overindulges in pleasurable things. In this painting it shows, a Prince sitting on a fancy chair after eating a large meal. This Prince will someday be King.…
We have all had some form of gastrointestinal distress at one time or another; it is not a fun time. Some individuals suffer from gastrointestinal disease. One disease I would like to discuss is spastic colon also known as irritable bowel syndrome, which is fairly common. Women are more likely to get spastic colon over men and about 20% of the American adult population has it.…
Today my patient, with a small bowel obstruction, had been walking laps around the unit in attempts to spark a bowel movement. On his 5th lap, he proudly announced to me that he was able to fart. All I could do was smile and encourage my patient to keep it up as he crop dusted pass the nurses’ station.…