GEP Medicine in Society Handbook 2019/20

Introduction – Upper and Lower Gastrointestinal disorders, weight problems and hepatobiliary disease are all common problems which often require hospital investigation and admission. The diagnosis and subsequent treatment of gastrointestinal disorders was revolutionised by endoscopy over the latter part of the twentieth century and this forms an important part of all gastroenterologists’ daily workload.

 Alimentary conditions also form a large part of the surgical workload in any hospital and abdominal pain is one of the commonest reasons for admission on an acute surgical take. During this placement you should have the opportunity to observe some patients with alimentary conditions that require admission under the medical or surgical teams for inpatient management.

 Learning Issues

• How would you take a history from someone with diarrhoea?
• What are the causes of bloody diarrhoea?
• Consider how inflammatory bowel disease may affect one’s work, life and family.
• What patient support groups are available for inflammatory bowel disease?
• What common blood tests are performed on patients with abdominal conditions?
• What medical conditions require upper and lower GI endoscopy?
• What is an ERCP and what are its indications?
• What is the role of the Endoscopy Nurse; what clinical skills do they utilise?
• Who is involved and what are the stages of patient transfer from the wards to the operating theatres and from Recovery to the ward? What are the potential hazards of this transfer?

Suggested Learning Tasks

• Make a written record of your conversation with a medical or surgical patient with an abdominal condition.