American Commercial College of Texas: Gastrointestinal Tract: Disorders of Motility Case Diagnosis
American Commercial College of Texas: Gastrointestinal Tract: Disorders of Motility Case Diagnosis
Gastrointestinal Tract: Disorders of Motility
Jamie is a 3-month-old female who presents with her mother for
evaluation of “throwing up.” Mom reports that Jamie has been throwing up
pretty much all the time since she was born. Jamie does not seem to be
sick. In fact, she drinks her formula vigorously and often acts hungry.
Jamie has normal soft brown bowel movements every day and, overall,
seems like a happy and contented baby. She smiles readily and does not
cry often. Other than the fact that she often throws up after drinking a
bottle, she seems to be a very healthy, happy infant. A more precise
history suggests that Jamie does not exactly throw up—she does not heave
or act unwell—but rather it just seems that almost every time she
drinks a bottle she regurgitates a milky substance. Mom thought that she
might be allergic to her formula and switched her to a hypoallergenic
formula. It didn’t appear to help at all, and now Mom is very concerned.
Cases like these are not uncommon. The mother was concerned and thinking
her daughter may have an allergy; she changed to a different formula.
However, sometimes babies have immature GI tracts that can lead to
physiology reflux as they adapt to normal life outside the uterus.
Parents often do not consider this possibility, prompting them to change
formulas rather than seeking medical care. As in the case study above,
GI alterations can often be difficult to identify because many cause
similar symptoms. This same issue also arises with adults—adults may
present with symptoms that have various potential causes. When
evaluating patients, it is important for the advanced practice nurse to
know the types of questions he or she needs to ask to obtain the
appropriate information for diagnosis. For this reason, you must have an
understanding of common GI disorders such as gastroesophageal reflux
disease (GERD), peptic ulcer disease (PUD), and gastritis.
To Prepare
Review this week’s media presentation on the gastrointestinal system.
