Digestive Diseases

Learning Objectives After completing this course you will be able to:

DIGESTIVE DISEASES STATISTICS

  1. List four various digestive diseases, prevalence, mortality, hospitalizations, physician office visits, prescriptions and costs.

FACTS AND FALLACIES ABOUT DIGESTIVE DISEASES

  1. Separate facts and fallacies about digestive diseases.
  2. Discuss with the patient causes of hiatal hernia, heartburn, peptic ulcer disease, celiac sprue, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis and cirrhosis.

YOUR DIGESTIVE SYSTEM AND HOW IT WORKS

  1. Explain how food is digested.
  2. Describe the movement of food through the digestive system.
  3. Explain how digestive juices are crucial to the process of digestion.
  4. Describe how carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins, and water and salt are absorbed and transported from the digestive system.
  5. Explain how hormone and nerve regulators control the digestive process.

HARMFUL AFFECTS OF MEDICINE ON THE ADULT DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

  1. For the digestive organs (esophagus, stomach, intestine, and liver) list various over the counter and prescription medicines that can cause harmful effects.
  2. List warning signs and precautions to be taken for the following digestive disorders: irritation of the esophagus and the stomach, esophageal reflux, delayed emptying of the stomach, constipation, diarrhea, and liver problems.

IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME (IBS)

  1. Define irritable bowel syndrome, and distinguish it from other, more serious organic disorders, such as colitis, spastic colon, and functional bowel disease.
  2. Discuss causes of IBS, list its symptoms and describe the role of diet and stress in treating IBS.

GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE

  1. Define gastroesophageal reflux.
  2. List at least 5 factors that contribute to GERD
  3. List 6 tips to control heartburn.
  4. Discuss diagnostic procedures for the assessment of GERD
  5. The movement of bile cells from the intestine to the stomach to produce a more harmful reflux material.

GAS IN THE DIGESTIVE TRACT

  1. List two main causes of gas in the digestive tract.
  2. List various foods that cause gas in the following categories: sugars, starches and fiber
  3. Describe four most common symptoms of gas.
  4. Discuss three common ways to reduce the discomfort of gas.

CONSTIPATION

  1. Define constipation
  2. List 11 common causes of constipation.
  3. List 11 diseases that cause constipation.
  4. Describe four diagnostic tests and physical examinations that are necessary proper assessment of constipation.
  5. Describe four treatments for constipation.

BLEEDING IN THE DIGESTIVE TRACT

  1. Identify 11 causes of bleeding in the digestive tract.
  2. List 5 ways of recognizing blood in the stool and vomit.
  3. List 6 symptoms of acute bleeding and four symptoms of chronic bleeding.
  4. Describe at least five diagnostic techniques of detecting bleeding in the digestive tract.
  5. Discuss two major treatment procedures for bleeding in the digestive tract.

LACTOSE INTOLERANCE

  1. Define lactose intolerance and describe three tests to diagnose lactose intolerance.
  2. Discuss two primary methods of treating lactose intolerance.
  3. Identify eight categories of food products that may contain lactose.

STOMACH AND DUODENAL ULCERS

  1. Define ulcer and identify three factors that cause ulcer development.
  2. Discuss the role of H. pylori in the development of ulcer.
  3. Discuss the treatment of ulcers in terms of lifestyle changes, medicines, and surgery.
  4. Describe the treatment with antibiotics for patients with h.pylori.
  5. Describe three common types of surgery for patients with ulcers.

HEMMORRHOIDS

  1. Describe 4 symptoms of hemorrhoids.
  2. Discuss three treatments for hemorrhoids, including four surgical treatments for the removal of hemorrhoids.
  3. Identify four preventive measures for hemorrhoids

DIVERTICULOSIS AND DIVERTICULITIS

  1. Describe Diverticulosis and Diverticulitis and discuss their symptoms and their treatments.
  2. Distinguish between Diverticulosis and Diverticulitis.

CROHN’S DISEASE

  1. Describe the digestive tract affected by Crohn’s disease.
  2. Discuss causes, treatment and control of Crohn’s disease.

ULCERATIVE COLITIS

  1. Identify the areas of the digestive tract that are usually affected by ulcerative colitis.
  2. Discuss causes and treatment for ulcerative colitis.

CIRRHOSIS OF THE LIVER

  1. Identify at least four major causes of cirrhosis.
  2. Discuss at least six symptoms of cirrhosis.

GALLSTONES

  1. Describe two types of gallstones, cholesterol stones and pigment stones.
  2. Discuss at least four causes of gallstones.
  3. Identify seven groups of people who are most likely to develop gallstones.
  4. Describe and distinguish between two kinds of gallbladder surgery.

PANCREATITIS

  1. Identify at least four causes of acute pancreatitis and describe three symptoms of acute pancreatitis.
  2. Distinguish between acute and chronic pancreatitis.
 

Learning Objectives

To assess the effectiveness of the course material, we ask that you evaluate your achievement of each learning objective on a scale of A to D (A=excellent, B=good, C=fair, D=unsatisfactory). Please indicate your responses next to each learning objective and return it to us with your completed exam.