Chapter 20 RECTAL BLEEDING AND HAEMORRHOIDS KEY POINTS Rectal bleeding: • Initial management of massive rectal bleeding always involves assessment and resuscitation. • Colonoscopy, radiolabelled red cell scan, selective mesenteric…
Chapter 19 FAECAL INCONTINENCE KEY POINTS • Faecal incontinence is the involuntary passage of stool through the anus. • A detailed history and clinical examination is important. A special note…
Chapter 18 COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING KEY POINTS • Colorectal (CRC) screening can reduce incidence and mortality from CRC by up to 90%. • All average subjects aged 50 years and…
Chapter 3 HEARTBURN, ACID REGURGITATION AND BARRETT’S OESOPHAGUS KEY POINTS • Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) is defined as a condition that develops when the reflux of stomach contents causes troublesome…
Chapter 15 ACUTE DIARRHOEA KEY POINTS • Acute infectious diarrhoea is common worldwide and is responsible for significant patient hospitalisation and mortality. • Acute diarrhoea is defined as an increase…
Chapter 14 CHALLENGING CONSTIPATION KEY POINTS • Constipation is a symptom not a diagnosis. • There are three subtypes of functional constipation (no structural or biochemical cause): slow transit constipation,…
Chapter 1 SORE MOUTH KEY POINTS • The commonest fungal infection in the mouth is Candida albicans. Always look for a predisposing factor (systemic disease, drugs, diabetes or HIV infection)….
Chapter 9 IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME KEY POINTS • Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a highly prevalent condition affecting 15% of the population. • IBS is defined by chronic or relapsing…
Chapter 13 CANCER OF THE PANCREAS AND PANCREATIC CYSTIC LESIONS KEY POINTS • Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive cancer with a low survival time: 10%–15% survival at 5 years. •…
Chapter 12 CHRONIC PANCREATITIS KEY POINTS • Chronic pancreatitis, chronic inflammation of the pancreas, is characterised by progressive irreversible loss of pancreatic exocrine and endocrine function. • Chronic pancreatits manifests…
