1. Digestive System
Terminology
Allyson Lofgren
Biology 120
Professor Abdullah
March 7, 2011

2. Serum Bilirubin
What is bilirubin?
• Bilirubin is the main brown/yellow pigment
in bile.
• It is created when heme, the pigment that
makes red blood cells red, breaks down in
older cells.
• It moves into the liver where it undergoes
many processes to make it more water
soluble.

3. What does serum bilirubin
tell us?
• Serum bilirubin is a test given to most
babies.
• It indicates how much of the waste product
bilirubin is in the baby’s blood.
• Elevated bilirubin indicates that red blood cells are
being destroyed rapidly or that bilirubin is not being
excreted as quickly as it should be
• It is a good test of the blood, gallbladder
and liver functions as it indicates the liver’s
ability to
• take up bilirubin
• process bilirubin
• secrete bilirubin into the bile

4. How is a Serum Bilirubin
test taken?
• Generally, a phlebotomist takes blood from the
baby's heel tissue instead of a vein.
• A baby’s veins are easily damaged because they are so small
and fragile. It is much safer to take tissue punctures.
• The blood is drawn into a small test tube about 2
inches long that is stoppered at each end when full.
• The tube is spun in a centrifuge to separate the
serum from the red blood cells.
• Spectrophotometry (a technique that measures the
amount of ultraviolet light absorbed by a substance)
is used to measure the amount of bilirubin in a the
serum.

5. Lavage
What is lavage?
• Lavage is the irrigation or washing out of an
organ.
• It is often called stomach pumping. It empties
the stomach of dangerous substances quickly
so the body does not absorb large quantities.
• It removes poisons that are dangerous to vomit like acids
or bleach.
• It is also used for those who have overdosed on drugs or
alcohol.

6. How is lavage performed?
• The patient lies on his or her left side, with the
head lowered.
• A lubricated tube is inserted through the mouth,
down the esophagus, and into the stomach.
• The poison, drugs and/or alcohol are suctioned
out through the tube.
• The stomach is washed out with lukewarm water
and/or salt water until the water comes out clear.
• Sometimes the patient is given charcoal after the
stomach is pumped because it absorbs drugs,
alcohol or poisons that may still be in the stomach.

7. Anastomosis
What is anastomosis?
• An anastomosis is a surgical
connection between two
structures.
• It is usually made between tubular
structures like blood vessels or parts
of the intestine.

8. How is an Anastomosis
Performed?
• An example of a common digestive
anastomosis surgery is a bowel resection.
• The blocked portion is removed and the two
sections are stitched back together.
• In some cases, the sections cannot be
reconnected. This is called a colostomy.
• The surgeon will bring the cut intestine through the
skin.
• The contents are emptied into an external bag.

9. Cachexia
What is cachexia?
• Cachexia is general weight loss and
wasting that occurs during chronic
diseases like cancer.
• As cancer progresses, the patient’s
basal metabolic rate usually drops.
• Cachexia is often caused by tumors in the lungs,
pancreas, and upper gastrointestinal tract.
• Cachexia is occasionally caused by breast cancer
or lower gastrointestinal cancer.

10. Works Cited
• Golonka, MHP, Debby; “Digestive Disorders Health Center: Bilirubin”, 05/27/08,
http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/bilirubin-15434
• Lo, PhD, DABCC, FACB, Stanley F.; “Bilirubin: the Test”, 11/24/10, American Association for
Clinical Chemistry, http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/bilirubin/test.html
• Boggs, MD, William M.; “Stomach Pumping (Gastric Lavage, Gastric Suctioning)”, 07/05/01,
Healthopedia.com, http://www.healthopedia.com/stomach-pumping/
• Vorvick, MD, Linda J.; “Anastomosis”, 08/08/09, MedlinePlus,
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002231.htm,
• Bhimji, MD, PhD, Shabir; “Intestinal obstruction repair”, 05/17/10, Medline Plus,
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002927.htm
• Fremgen, Bonnie F. and Frucht, Suzanne S. “Glossary: Cachexia” Medical Terminology: a
Living Language. 4th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2009. 547. Print
• Staff writers for the National Cancer Institute, “Nutrition in Cancer Care - Tumor-Induced
Effects on Nutritional Status”,08/02/10, WebMD,
http://www.webmd.com/cancer/tc/ncicdr0000276584-tumor-induced-effects-on-nutritional-
status