Symptoms and signs of lower gastrointestinal disease
File(s)
Author(s)
Coda, S
Thillainayagam, AV
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Symptoms of lower gastrointestinal (GI) disease are common and frequently trigger consultation in primary and secondary care. Diarrhoea, abdominal pain and constipation are presentations of a wide range of different underlying pathologies, from chronic, benign, functional conditions to acutely life-threatening emergencies. Lower GI bleeding is often due to serious pathology and requires rational investigation based on a systematic clinical assessment. Extra-intestinal manifestations of lower GI disease can often give a clue to the underlying diagnosis. In this contribution, we review the aetiology, clinical features, investigations and management for a range of lower GI symptoms, namely diarrhoea, constipation, lower GI bleeding, bloating and abdominal pain.
Date Issued
2015-01-26
Date Acceptance
2015-01-26
Citation
Medicine, 2015, 43 (3), pp.146-152
ISSN
0304-5412
Publisher
Elsevier
Start Page
146
End Page
152
Journal / Book Title
Medicine
Volume
43
Issue
3
Copyright Statement
© 2015, Elsevier. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Publication Status
Published