Gastroenterology Flashcards, test questions and answers

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What is Gastroenterology?

Gastroenterology is a branch of medicine that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of diseases related to the digestive system, including those affecting the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon and rectum, pancreas, gallbladder, biliary tract and liver. This specialty includes both medical (the study of organs and systems) and surgical aspects. Gastroenterologists are specialists who diagnose conditions such as abdominal pain; acid reflux; ulcers; irritable bowel syndrome; Crohn’s disease; colitis; jaundice; hepatitis C and A-Fib. They also provide preventive care for at-risk patients with lifestyle modifications or dietary changes along with screening tests like colonoscopies.Gastroenterologists use a variety of diagnostic tools to evaluate their patients’ complaints or symptoms. These include endoscopic procedures such as upper gastrointestinal series (UGI), flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy to look inside the intestines for abnormalities. Blood tests can identify hidden infections or metabolic disorders in some illnesses while imaging studies like CT scans help rule out tumors or obstruction issues within the abdomen cavity. Other procedures include biopsies taken from tissues examined under microscope to search for signs of cancerous cells in some cases. Treatment plans depend on diagnosis but may involve medications such as antibiotics to clear up infections caused by bacteria/viral agents found in stool samples during testing phase or even surgery if needed due surgery is required when there are obstructions present that cannot be treated medically otherwise.