CMA Chapter 18

• LANES Competencies


  • Prepare the patient for examinations and treatments
  • Recognize and understand various treatment protocols
  • Comply with federal, state, and local health laws and regulations
  • Communicate on the recipient's level of comprehension
  • Serve as a liaison between the physician and others
  • Show empathy and impartiality when dealing with patients
  • Document accurately
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)


  Chronic disorder characterized by discomfort in the chest (heartburn) due to the backflow of gastric contents into the esophagus
• Ulcerative colitis


  Inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation and ulcers in the colon
• Crohn disease


  Inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation and irritation in any part of the digestive tract
• Weight-loss surgery


  Surgical procedures performed to assist with weight loss in a patient who is obese
• Gastrointestinal (GI) system


  Responsible for ingestion, digestion, transportation, and elimination of the food we eat
• Digestion


  1. Food is broken down into segments and mixed with enzymes

  2. Physical and chemical changes break down food into usable units

  3. Unused food material is eliminated as waste (feces)
• Disorders of the GI system may affect the alimentary canal (GI tract) or accessory organs such as the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas
• Gastroenterologists are physicians who specialize in disorders of the GI system
• Dental caries


  Tooth decay caused by bacteria that erode the enamel and infect the inner portions of the tooth
• Stomatitis


  Inflammation of the oral mucosa, commonly caused by a virus (herpes simplex) or fungus (Candida albicans)
• Gingivitis


  Inflammation of the gums that can lead to periodontitis and destruction of the supporting structures of the teeth
• Leukoplakia


  White spots or patches that form on the oral mucosa, particularly the lips and tongue, and can become malignant
• Hiatal hernia


  Condition where the stomach protrudes up into the diaphragm through a weakened or enlarged cardiac sphincter, allowing gastric acids to backflow into the esophagus
• Esophagitis


  Condition where the lining of the esophagus becomes abraded due to constant exposure to gastric acid from gastroesophageal reflux
• Barrett esophagus


  Constant irritation of the esophageal lining that may lead to esophageal cancer
• Symptoms of GERD


  • Frequent heartburn or indigestion relieved by antacids
  • Hoarseness or laryngitis
  • Sore throat
  • Feeling of a lump in the throat
  • Chronic cough
• Untreated GERD can lead to erosion of the esophagus and complications such as esophageal bleeding
• Esophageal varices


  Varicose veins in the esophagus resulting from pressure within the esophageal veins, commonly seen in patients with cirrhosis of the liver
• Esophageal cancer


  Most common among older people and usually fatal, caused by factors like chronic gastroesophageal reflux, smoking, and drinking alcohol
• Esophageal cancer narrows the lumen of the esophagus and causes dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)
• Varices


  Distended veins that can rupture and cause hemorrhaging
• Treatment of varices before hemorrhaging

  Sclerotherapy - using a chemical agent to cause fibrosing and hardening around the varices, preventing hemorrhaging
• Treatment of esophageal hemorrhage

  Immediate transport to emergency room, application of pressure tubes to the varices to control bleeding
• Esophageal cancer


  Most common among older adults, usually fatal
• Predisposing factors for esophageal cancer


  • Chronic gastroesophageal reflux, smoking, drinking alcohol
• Diagnosis of esophageal cancer

  Barium swallow with fluoroscopy, esophagoscopy with biopsy
• Treatments for esophageal cancer include surgical resection, chemotherapy, and radiation, but survival rates are low
• A hiatal hernia can affect the esophagus
• Gastritis


  Inflammation of the stomach lining, can be acute or chronic
• Diagnosis of gastritis


  Careful history, endoscopic examination
• Treatment of gastritis


  Eliminate cause, restore gastric acidity, administer medications as prescribed
• Peptic ulcers


  Erosions or sores in the GI tract lining, caused by exposure to hydrochloric acid
• Diagnosis of peptic ulcers

  Similar to gastritis, including history and endoscopy
• Treatment of peptic ulcers

  Avoid irritants, limit gastric acid production, antibiotics as prescribed, surgery (vagotomy) if other methods ineffective
• Gastric cancer has no known cause, but smoking, alcohol, preservatives, and genetics may contribute
• Diagnosis of gastric cancer


  Upper GI series, gastroscopy, biopsy, CT, biopsy of suspected metastatic sites
• Treatment of gastric cancer


  Surgery (subtotal or total gastrectomy), radiation, chemotherapy
• Helicobacter pylori is a common cause of peptic ulcers
• Gastroenteritis


  General inflammation of the stomach, small intestine, and/or colon