LO – 07 LS – 4

Gastrointestinal System

Stool Tests

- Inspecting – consistency, colour, & occult blood

- Fecal urobilinogen, fecal fat, nitrogen, Clostridium difficile, fecal leukocytes, calculation
of stool osmolar gap, parasites, pathogens, food residues.
- Fecal Occult Blood Testing (FOBT) – most commonly performed stool tests.
- Useful – initial screening – several disorders – early cancer detention programs
- In – office or at – home occult blood test – Hemoccult II
- Red meats, aspirin, nonsteroidal anti – inflammatory drugs, turnips, &
horseradish,vitamin C – avoided – prior – to 72 hours – cause – false positive result.
- Other tests – Hematest II SENSA & HemoQuant
- Fecal immunologic tests – monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies – detect – globin protein
– in human hemoglobin.
- Stool DNA test – colon cancer – detect – neoplasia – anywhere – in colon.

Abdominal Ultrasonography

- Noninvasive diagnostic technique – high – frequency sound waves – passed - internal

body structures – ultrasonic echoes – recorded – oscilloscope – strike – tissues – different
densities.
- Useful – detention – enlarged gallbladder or pancreas, presence – gallstones, enlarged
ovary, ectopic pregnancy, appendicitis
- Advantages – absence – of ionizing radiation – no noticeable side effects, relatively low
cost, immediate results.
- Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) – enteroscopic procedure – diagnosis of GI disorders
– direct imaging – target area.
- EUS – evaluate – submucosal lesions, location & depth – penetration.
- Aid – evaluation – Barrett’s esophagus, portal hypertension, chronic pancreatitis,
suspected pancreatic neoplasm, biliary tract disease, changes – bowel wall – due to
ulcerative colitis.

Imaging Studies

Upper Gastrointestinal Tract Study

- Delineates – entire GI tract – introduction – contrast agent.

- Radiopaque liquid – used – thin barium, Hypaque, water – low associated risks
- Detect or exclude – anatomic or functional disorders – upper GI organs or sphincters.
- Aids – diagnosis – ulcers, varices, tumours, regional enteritis, malabsorption syndromes.