Alex's Alimentary

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LSS Alimentary System

Alexandra Burke-Smith

The Burden of Alimentary Disease Professor Mark Thursz (m.thursz@imperial.ac.uk)

Organs of the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract)  Mouth + oesophagus  Stomach  Small intestine (duodenum, jejunum + ileum)  Liver  Biliary system  Pancreas  Large intestine (colon, rectum + anus) o Colon consists of caecum, appendix, ascending colon, hepatic flexure, transverse colon, splenic flexure, descending colon, sigmoid colon Components of burden of disease (details on pp)  Patient burden  Epidemiological statistics o Incidence – more important for acute diseases o Prevalence – more important for chronic diseases  Health economic o Morbidity o Mortality o QUALYs/DALYs  Societal burden o Health Cost – taxpayer vs individual Symptoms of GI disease (examples on pp) Symptoms are what the patient may complain of. They may be divided into general and regional symptoms. 

General (many GI diseases are difficult to diagnose specifically do to the frequency of general symptoms) o Anorexia o Weight loss o Anaemia Upper GI tract o Haematemesis – vomiting blood o Melaena – blood in stool o Nausea o Vomiting o Dysphagia – inability to swallow food o Odynophagia – pain on swallowing o Heartburn – burning sensation in epigastric region that moves upwards o Acid regurgitation o Belching o Chest pain o Epigastric pain – pain in the epigastric region (upper central region above TPP and between midclavicular lines Liver + Biliary system (majority of liver disease does not present with symptoms until very advanced) o Right upper quadrant pain o Biliary colic – term used to describe when biliary tree is obstructed by a gallstone  abdo pain 1


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