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EMT Basic · Chapter 19 · Review · Chapter track

Gastrointestinal and Urologic Emergencies

Referencing the content of EMT-Basic training and emergency patient care

Learning objectives (13)

  1. Define the term acute abdomen — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 755); confirm wording in your course copy.

  2. Demonstrate the assessment of a patient’s abdomen — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 756); confirm wording in your course copy.

  3. Describe other organ systems that can cause abdominal pain — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 755); confirm wording in your course copy.

  4. Describe pathologic conditions of the gastrointestinal, genital, and urinary systems — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 755); confirm wording in your course copy.

  5. Describe the assessment and management of acute and chronic gastrointestinal hemorrhage, peritonitis, and ulcerative diseases — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 755); confirm wording in your course copy.

  6. Describe the assessment of a patient with a gastrointestinal or urologic emergency — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 755); confirm wording in your course copy.

  7. Describe the basic anatomy and physiology of the gastrointestinal, genital, and urinary systems — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 755); confirm wording in your course copy.

  8. Describe the emergency medical care of the patient with a gastrointestinal or urologic emergency — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 756); confirm wording in your course copy.

  9. Describe the procedures to follow in managing the patient with shock associated with abdominal emergencies — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 755); confirm wording in your course copy.

  10. Explain the concept of referred pain — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 755); confirm wording in your course copy.

  11. Explain the principles of kidney dialysis — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 756); confirm wording in your course copy.

  12. Identify the signs and symptoms, and common causes, of an acute abdomen — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 755); confirm wording in your course copy.

  13. List the most common abdominal emergencies, along with the most common locations of direct and referred pain — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 755); confirm wording in your course copy.

Chapter web resources

Optional reading from authoritative sites. Your textbook remains the primary source for this course.

When sources disagree (5 topics to verify before you teach from this chapter alone)

Printable study sheetPrintable flashcards (PDF, 10-up)Read first, then practise the track.

Showing Chapter track material. Switch tracks on the chapter page.

Vocabulary · 13

  • Peritonitis

    Inflammation of the peritoneum — the lining of the abdominal cavity — usually from infection or perforation; causes severe abdominal pain and rigidity.

    SourceNIH MedlinePlus — Peritonitis

  • Hematemesis

    Vomiting blood — bright red suggests active upper-GI bleeding; coffee-ground emesis suggests older bleeding.

    SourceNIH MedlinePlus — Vomiting blood

  • Melena

    Black, tarry, sticky stool indicating digested blood from an upper-GI source.

    SourceNIH MedlinePlus — Melena

  • Hematochezia

    Bright red blood passed through the rectum, usually from a lower-GI source.

    SourceNIH MedlinePlus — Bloody or tarry stools

  • Cholecystitis

    Inflammation of the gallbladder, typically from a gallstone blocking the cystic duct.

    SourceNIH NIDDK — Gallstones

  • Appendicitis

    Inflammation of the appendix that can perforate and cause peritonitis if untreated.

    SourceNIH NIDDK — Appendicitis

  • Pancreatitis

    Inflammation of the pancreas — acute pancreatitis presents with severe epigastric pain radiating to the back.

    SourceNIH NIDDK — Pancreatitis

  • Dialysis

    Medical treatment that filters waste products and excess fluid from the blood when the kidneys cannot — performed via hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis.

    SourceNIH NIDDK — Dialysis

  • Arteriovenous (AV) fistula

    A surgically created connection between an artery and vein used as long-term vascular access for hemodialysis.

    SourceNIH NIDDK — Hemodialysis access

  • Kidney stones (urolithiasis)

    Hard mineral deposits that form in the kidneys and can cause severe flank pain when they pass through the urinary tract.

    SourceNIH NIDDK — Kidney stones in adults

  • Urinary tract infection (UTI)

    An infection in any part of the urinary system; in older adults may present primarily as altered mental status.

    SourceNIH NIDDK — Bladder infection in adults

  • Referred pain

    Pain perceived at a location different from its true anatomic source — e.g., gallbladder pain referred to the right shoulder.

    SourceMerriam-Webster Medical Dictionary — Referred pain

  • Guarding

    Voluntary or involuntary tensing of abdominal muscles to protect underlying inflamed tissue from palpation.

    SourceAAOS — Emergency Care and Transportation of the Sick and Injured, 12e — Abdominal exam — guarding and rigidity

Sequences · 2

  • Abdominal exam in field assessment — Order the EMT-level abdominal exam steps.
  • Recognition of worsening GI bleed — Order these findings from earliest to latest in a worsening GI bleed.