RCGP Curriculum - 15.2 Digestive Problems

In this section you will find articles on:

Symptoms

GORD

Gallstones and gallbladder disease

Dyspepsia, gastritis and ulceration

Inflammatory bowel disease

Irritable bowel syndrome

Others conditions

Investigations

Treatment

Emergency care

Prevention

Other related articles

Symptoms

Abdominal pain

• Clinical Review - Acute abdomen 08-Apr-10
• Small bowel obstruction 04-Sept-09
• Red flag symptoms - Abdominal pain 24-Apr-09
• Paediatric medicine - Recurrent abdominal pain 20-Mar-09

Diarrhoea and constipation

• The basics - Faecal incontinence 03-Sep-10
• Treating acute infectious diarrhoea 06-Jul-07
• Clinical review: Paediatric diarrhoea 01-Jun-07
• Red Flag Symptoms: Constipation 20-Feb-09
• How to manage and treat constipation 13-Apr-07
• Case Study - A child's problem in an adult 12-Feb-09
• Constipation in children 10-Oct-07

Dyspeptic symptoms

• The basics - Dyspepsia 28-Feb-10
• CKS Clinical solutions - Dyspepsia 18-Jun-10
• Red Flag Symptoms – Dyspepsia 11-Apr-08

Dysphagia

• Red flag symptoms - Dysphagia 30-Sep-10

Haematemesis and melaena

• Clinical Review - Peptic ulcer disease 22-Jul-10
• Clinical Q&A: Urine glucose and black stools 02-Mar-07

Jaundice

• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease 22-Jan-09
• Red flag symtoms - Jaundice in an adult 27-Mar-09
• Case study - Jaundice is cause for concern 20-Feb-08

Nausea, vomiting, anorexia, weight loss

• Red flag symptoms: vomiting 30-May-08

Rectal bleeding, tenesmus

• Red flag symptoms - Rectal bleeding 20-Mar-09
• The basics - Ulcerative colitis 07-May-08

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GORD

• Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease 24-Jun-10
• The Basics - Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease 05-Dec-07

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Gallstones and gallbladder disease

• Identifying and treating gallstones 14-Mar-08
• Clinical Review: Acute cholecystitis 17-Apr-09
• Clinical review: Gallstones 07-Dec-07

Dyspepsia, gastritis and ulceration

• The basics - Dyspepsia 28-Feb-10
• Clinical Review - Peptic ulcer disease 22-Jul-10
• Red Flag Symptoms – Dyspepsia 11-Apr-08

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Inflammatory bowel disease

• Clinical review: Inflammatory bowel disease 05-Mar-09
• The basics - Ulcerative colitis 07-May-08
• The basics - Crohn's disease 27-Jun-08

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Irritable bowel syndrome

• Case Study - A cause of anaemia and tiredness found 12-Feb-10
• Clinical review: Irritable bowel syndrome 03-Apr-09
• The basics - Irritable bowel syndrome 20-Nov-09
• Treating IBS without antispasmodics 01-Nov-08

Other conditions

• Clinical Review - Large bowel obstruction 27-May-10
• Red Flag Symptoms – Pregnancy 13-Jun-08
• Appendicitis 03-Oct-08
• A pancreatic mass reveals its secrets 16-Mar-07

GI cancers

• Clinical Review: Colorectal cancer 01-Apr-10
• Clinical review: Pancreatic cancer 14-Dec-07
• A serious cause for a bloated abdomen 22-Jun-07
• Identifying and managing hepatobiliary cancers 01-Nov-07

• Hepatitis C: be aware 25-Feb-09
• Q&A – Hepatitis 14-May-08
• Clinical review: Chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis 06-Apr-07

Gastroenteritis

• The basics - Gastroenteritis and diarrhoea 21-May-10
• Unusual abdominal symptoms 23-Apr-08

Coeliac disease

• The basics - Coeliac disease 01-Oct-10
• Making a diagnosis of coeliac disease 05-Sep-07

Constipation

• Clinical review: Chronic constipation 09-Jan-09
• How to manage and treat constipation 13-Apr-07
• Constipation in children 10-Oct-07

Diverticulosis

• Clinical review: Diverticular disease 15-May-09
  

Perianal disease

• The management options for patients with haemorrhoids 08-Jun-07

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Investigations

Abdominal ultrasound

• Expert opinion: screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm 01-Apr-08

Amylase

• Lab Tests Online: Amylase

Coeliac antibody screening

• The basics - Coeliac disease 01-Oct-10
• Making a diagnosis of coeliac disease 05-Sep-07

Faecal occult bloods

• Rectal cancer 01-Jun-08

H. pylori testing, including serology, breath test, stool antigen testing

• Referring for endoscopy 09-Oct-06
• News: Faecal H pylori test is best for dyspepsia 11-May-07
• H pylori tests for dyspepsia 09-Feb-07

Secondary care investigations

• Rectal cancer 01-Jun-08

Liver function tests

• Investigating abnormal liver function tests 10-Sep-08
• Investigating abnormal liver tests 23-Mar-07
• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease 22-Jan-09

Stool testing

• News: Faecal H pylori test is best for dyspepsia 11-May-07
• Rectal cancer 01-Jun-08

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Treatment

Principles of treatment

• Prescribing a PPI and hepatitis A immunity 12-Jan-07

Secondary care management of digestive problems, including surgical options

• Clinical Review - Acute abdomen 08-Apr-10
• Clinical Review - Acute pancreatitis 12-Feb-10
• Small bowel obstruction 04-Sept-09
• Clinical review: Acute cholecystitis 17-Apr-09
• Clinical review: Appendicitis 03-Oct-08
• Clinical review: Diverticular disease 15-May-09
  
• Case Study - A child's problem in an adult 12-Feb-09

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Emergency care

• A pancreatic mass reveals its secrets 16-Mar-07

• Clinical Review - Acute abdomen 08-Apr-10
• Small bowel obstruction 04-Sept-09
• Clinical review: Appendicitis 03-Oct-08
• Abdominal distention 06-Jun-08

Prevention

Dietary advice

• GPs well placed to talk about balanced diet 27-Nov-09
• The role of very low calorie diets 08-Apr-10
• A Mediterranean diet 08-Feb-08
• Consultation skills - Give well-balanced dietary advice 16-Apr-08
  

Smoking cessation and alcohol reduction

• The basics - Smoking cessation 14-Jan-10
• GPs are crucial to health promotion 07-Nov-07

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Other related articles

• Case study - A businessman with bad breath 14-May-10