gastro intestinal signs and symptoms associated with patients

1. GROUP 1
Phn ,MSC,PHMD :NDAGIJIMANA THEOGENE
UNIVERSITY OF RWANDA
EMAIL:hurrysight59@gamail.com
Signs and symptoms of Gastrointestinal
system

2. GI SYSTEM
 GI system is made of 6 organs and function
Esophagus: swallowing
stomach and duodenum: digestive and absorption
liver: anabolism and catabolism, detoxification, bile
secretion
Pancreas: hormone secretion and enzyme secretion
Colon: reabsorption and fecal formation
Rectal: fecal reservoir

3. COMMON SYMPTOMS OF GI SYSTEM DISORDERS
 Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are common medical conditions
and subjective data of patient’s complains.
 Following is the common symptoms of GI system disorders:
1. Abdominal pain( depends on location and type)
2. constipation
3. diarrhea( watery stool more than 3 times a day)
4. Gas in the GI tract( abdominal distention)
5. vomitus and regurgitation(Nausea and vomiting)

4. CONT’ OF SYMPTOMS
6. Dysphagia( difficulty in swallowing due to impaired reflex nerve of
esophagus or oropharynx)
7. Odinophagia( pain of swallowing)
8. Heartburn( burn sensation on the front chest)
9. Hiccup or Singultus( involuntary spasmodic contraction of diaphragm
followed by sudden closure of glottis)
10. Hematemesis(blood vomiting due to bleeding of upper GIT)
11. Melena( black bloody stool due to bleeding of upper GIT)
12. Hematoschezia( fresh red bloody stool due to bleeding of lower GIT)

5. SIGNS OF GI SYSTEM DISORDER
 Signs are objective data of physical findings.
 These findings are observed from physical examination:
inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation.
 Most of common signs associated with GI system disorders:
1. mental change( end stage of cirrhosis or severe hepatic
disorders called encephalopathy due to false
neurotransmitter)
2. Jaundice or Icteric( yellow discoloration of the skin, sclera
of the eyes, mucous membrane due to excessive level of
conjugated or unconjugated bilirubin in the blood)

6. CONT’ OF SIGNS
3. Gynecomastia( occurs only in males due to increasing breast
size most common in cirrhosis due to failure to inactivate
circulating estrogen)
4. Palmar Erythema( local vasodilatation along palmar side most
common in cirrhosis)
5. Meteorismus( accumulation of gas in abdominal cavity due to
electrolyte imbalance)
6. Pain palpation( depend on topographic)
7. Ascites( accumulation of fluid in abdominal cavity due to
decrease of osmotic pressure or increase of hydrostatic presurre)

7. CONT’ SIGNS
8. Hepatomegaly( hepatic enlargement confirmed by
palpation, percussion and sonograph)
9. Splenomegaly(enlargement of spleen due to infection,
trauma, hematologic disorders confirmed by palpation and
sonograph)
11. Flapping Tremor( tremor of wrist joint after full due to
encephalopathy hepatic)
12. Pitting Edema( accumulation of fluid in subcutis
especially in plantar pedis due to hepatic, renal, blood vessel
and systemic inflammation).

8. REFERENCE
 MP Jones, JB Dilley, D Drossman Brain-gut connections in functional GI disorders,
neurogastroenterology&motility 18 (2), 91-103, 2006
 Nicolas J Talley, V Stanghellini, KL Koch; fynctional gastroduodenal disorders; Gut 45(suppl 2), 1137-
1137, 1999
 www.healthcommunities.com/general-gi-symptoms/overview-of-gi-symptoms.shtml