| Term |
Description |
| Visceral pain | dull, poorly localized pain that originates in the walls of hollow organs |
| Three separate mechanisms can produce visceral pain | : inflammation, distension, and ischemia; all of which transmit a pain signal from visceral afferent neural fibers back to the spinal column |
| Peritonitis | inflammation of the peritoneum, which lines the abdominal cavity. |
| Somatic pain | sharp, localized pain that originates in walls of the body such as skeletal muscles. |
| Referred pain | pain that originates in a region other than where it is felt |
| Cullen’s sign | ecchymosis in the periumbilical area |
| Grey-Turner’s sign | ecchymosis in the flank |
| upper GI bleeding | bleeding within the GI tract proximal to the ligament of Treitz |
| Ligament of Treitz | ligament that supports the doedenojejunal junction |
| Mallory-Weiss tear | esophageal laceration, usually secondary to vomiting |
| Sengstaken-Blakemore tube | three-lumen tube used in treating esophageal bleeding. |
| esophageal varix | swollen vein of the esophagus. |
| protal | pertaining to the flow of blood into the liver |
| cirrhosis | degenerative disease of the liver; results in fatty deposits and fibrosis in te liver parenchymal tissue, thus obstructing portal blood flow |
| acite gastroenteritis | sudden onset of inflammation of the stomach and intestines |
| hematochezia | bright red blood in the stool caused by erosion of the lising of the lower GI tract |
| chronic gastroenteritis | nonacute inflammation of the gastrointestinal mucosa; due primarily to microbial infection |
| Pepic ulcers | erosions caused by gastric acid; they can occur anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract |
| Duodenal ulcers | most frequently occur in the proximal portion of the duodenum |
| gastric ulcers | occur exclusively in the stomach |
| Zollinger-Ellison syndrome | condition that causes the stomach to secrete excessive amounts of hydrochloric acid and pepsin |
| lower GI bleeding | bleeding in the GI tract distal to the ligament of Treitz. |
| Ulcerative colitis | classified as an idiopathic inflammatory bowel disorder (IBD), one of unknown origin |
| pancolitis | ulcerative colitis spread throughout the entire colon |
| proctitis | ulcerative colitis limited to the rectum |
| colic | acute pain associated with cramping or spasms in the abdominal organs |
| Crohn’s disease | idiopathic inflammatory bowel disorder associated with the small intestine; can occur anywhere from the mouth to the rectum |
| diverticulitis | inflammation of diverticula |
| diverticulosis | presence of diverticula with or without associated bleeding |
| diverticula | small outpouchings in the mucosal lining of the intestinal tract |
| Hemorrhoids | small mass of swollen veins in the anus or rectum |
| bowel obstruction | blockage of the hollow space within the intestines |
| hernia | protrusion of an organ through its protective sheath |
| intussusception | condition the occurs when part of the intestine slips in to the part just distal to itself |
| vulvulus | twisting of the intestine on itself |
| adhesion | union of normally separate tissue surfaces by a fibrous band of new tissue |
| infarction | area of dead tissue caused by a lack of blood |
| Appendicitis | inflammation of the vermiform appendix at the juncture of the large and small intestines |
| McBurney’s point | common site of pain from appendicitis, one to two inches above the anterior iliac crest in a direct line with the umbilicus |
| Cholecystitis | inflammation of the gallbladder |
| Cholelithiasis | formation of gallstones |
| Murphy’s sign | pain caused when an inflamed gallbladder is palpated by pressing under the right costal margin |
| Pancreatitis | inflammation of the pancreas |
| Chronic pancreatitis | acinar tissue destruction commonly occurs due to chronic alcohol intake, drug toxicity, ischemia, or infectious diseases |
| Hepatitis | involves any injury to hepatocytes associated with an inflammation or infection. |
| hepatitis A (HAV) | spreads by the oral-fecal route |
| Hepatitis B (HBV) | known as serum hepatitis is transmitted as a blood borne pathogen that can stay active in bodily fluids outside the body for days |
| Hepatitis C (HCV) | is caused by the pathogen most commonly responsible for spreading hepatitis thought blood transfusions; marked by chronic and often debilitating damage to the liver |
| Hepatitis D (HDV) | is a less common disorder because its pathogen is dormant until activated by HBV |
| Hepatitis E (HEV) | is waterborne infection that has caused epidemics in Africa, Mexico, and other third-world nations |
