Functions and terms
This term describes the process where food is broken down by chewing and mixed with digestive enzymes.
What is digestion?
This salivary enzyme begins the digestion of carbohydrates in the mouth.
What is salivary amylase (ptyalin)?
This is the most common symptom reported by patients with GI dysfunction and refers to “indigestion.”
What is dyspepsia?
A patient reports “feeling full of gas” and excessive flatulence. This symptom is called what?
What is intestinal gas (bloating/distention)?
These structures of the oral cavity should be inspected during a GI physical assessment. Name two.
What are lips, gums, tongue, teeth, or oral mucosa? (Any two.)
This is the major function of the small intestine, where vitamins and minerals pass unchanged into the bloodstream.
What is absorption?
This gastric secretion helps digest protein and is activated by hydrochloric acid.
What is pepsin?
When assessing abdominal pain, you should use this acronym to guide your questions.
What is PQRST? (Provocation, Quality, Region/Radiation, Severity, Timing)
This vague, uncomfortable sensation of sickness or “queasiness” may or may not be followed by vomiting.
What is nausea?
This is the correct order to perform an abdominal assessment.
What is inspection, auscultation, percussion, and palpation?
This phase of the digestive process occurs after digestion and absorption when waste products are removed from the body.
What is elimination?
This substance is produced by the liver, stored in the gallbladder, and is essential for fat emulsification.
What is bile?
Name at least three pieces of information you collect in a GI health history according to your slides.
What are abdominal pain, dyspepsia, gas, nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, fecal incontinence, jaundice, previous GI disease? (Any three.)
A sudden change in this pattern—such as in frequency or consistency—may indicate colonic disease.
What are bowel habits?
Auscultation must be performed before palpation and percussion because manipulating the abdomen can affect what?
What is bowel motility and bowel sounds?
This process begins in the jejunum and is accomplished by active transport and diffusion across the intestinal wall into the circulation.
What is absorption?
True or False: Lipase is an enzyme that aids in the digestion of protein.
What is False? (Lipase digests fats; trypsin digests proteins.)
These two stool-related symptoms may signal colonic dysfunction or disease.
What are constipation and diarrhea?
The presence of this yellowish discoloration of the skin and eyes suggests a liver or biliary problem.
What is jaundice?
This part of the GI physical assessment involves examining for external hemorrhoids, fissures, or masses.
What is rectal inspection?
Name the three main functions of the digestive tract
What are breakdown of food for digestion, absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream, and elimination of undigested/unabsorbed food and waste products?
Name three major pancreatic or intestinal enzymes listed for small intestine function in your notes.
What are amylase, lipase, and trypsin? (You can also mention bile as part of small intestinal digestion.)
In addition to GI symptoms, these three lifestyle or oral-related factors should be asked about in the GI health history.
What are oral care/dental visits, use of alcohol and tobacco, and dentures or discomfort with certain foods?
A patient complains of constipation and also reports very narrow, pencil-like stools. This change may signal a problem in which organ?
What is the colon (possible colonic dysfunction or obstruction)?
During abdominal inspection, you observe distention, scars, and visible pulsations. These findings belong to which phase of assessment: inspection, auscultation, percussion, or palpation?
What is inspection?