Disorders of the Gastrointestinal System, 2nd Edition
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COURSE OVERVIEW Diseases and disorders of the gastrointestinal system affect millions of individuals each year. This course reviews many of the more common problems as well as presents pa- tient assessment needs, current treatments, and best practices for nursing care.
LEARNING OUTCOMES ● Examine the anatomy of the gastrointestinal system. ● Compare selected diseases and disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. ● Examine the pathophysiology of diseases and disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. INTRODUCTION Diseases and disorders of the gastroin- testinal system affect millions of individ- uals each year. This course reviews many common problems and presents patient assessment needs, current treatments, and best practices for nursing care. ANATOMY OF THE GASTROINTESTINAL SYSTEM Figure 1. Gastrointestinal System
● Interpret signs and symptoms of gastrointestinal disease processes. ● Differentiate appropriate nursing interventions and treatments for selected gastrointestinal diseases.
The gastrointestinal (GI) system con- sists of the GI tract (also referred to as the alimentary canal) and accessory organs. The GI system is a long, hollow muscular tube that starts in the mouth, ends at the anus, and includes the following parts of the anatomy (Elsevier, 2022): ● Oral cavity. ● Pharynx. ● Esophagus. ● Stomach. The accessory glands and organs of the GI system are the salivary glands, liver, pancreas, and gallbladder. GI accesso- ry glands and organs secrete fluids, en - zymes, and emulsifying agents that lubri- cate and aid in the breakdown of food (Elsevier, 2022). The peritoneal cavity is the area within the abdomen that houses the gastrointestinal organs. ● Small intestine. ● Large intestine. ● Rectum. ● Anus.
Note . Haggstrom, M. (n.d.). Complete GI Tract. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/ File:Complete_GI_tract_-_transparent_-_wider.png. In the public domain.
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