• Clinical manifestations of GI disease are closely related to its STRUCTURE and FUNCTION.

• Structure
  - Hollow organ – diseases cause ulceration, perforation, obstructions, bleeding
  - Long tubular segments with attached adipose tissue –> possibility of mechanical twisting or telescoping 

• Function 
  - Responsible for absorption of ingested nutrients and excretion of waste – hence nutritional deficiencies can occur

Cardinal symptoms and signs:

• Abdominal or chest pain – due to inflammation, obstruction (colic)
  • Altered ingestion of food – nausea, vomiting, dysphagia (difficulty in swallowing), or
• anorexia (lack of appetite)

• Altered bowel movements – diarrhoea or constipation
  • Bleeding – Acute or chronic
  • - Acute GI bleed can result in severe blood loss and hypotensive shock
    •                - Some characteristics of the bleeding / blood provide clues as to source 
    • (upper vs lower GIT)
      • - Chronic bleed results more in anaemia – eg. fatigue, pallor, shortness of breath

Complications:

Acute

• Dehydration – if the GIT is not able to absorb water properly (this is a systemic condition
• arising from a GIT condition)
• Sepsis
• Hypotensive shock from GI bleeding

Chronic

• Malabsorption(malnutrition, deficiency states)
• Obstruction