Chapter 6 Test/clinic/lab

Front 1

liver function tests (LFTs)

Back 1

Tests for the presence of enzymes and bilirubin in serum (clear fluid that remains after blood has clotted).

Front 2

stool culture

Back 2

Test for microorganisms present in feces.

Front 3

stool gusiac or Hemoccult test

Back 3

Detection of occult (hidden) blood in feces. This is an important screening test for colon cancer.

Front 4

lower gastrointestinal series (barium enema)

Back 4

X-ray images of the colon and rectum obtained after injection of barium into the rectum.

Front 5

upper gastrointestinal series

Back 5

X-ray images of the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine obtained after administering barium by mouth.

Front 6

cholangiography

Back 6

X-ray examination of the biliary system performed after injection of contrast into the bile ducts.

Front 7

percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography

Back 7

the contrast medium enters via needle through the abdominal walls into the liver.

Front 8

endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)

Back 8

contrast medium is injected via catheter (tube) through the mouth, esophagus, stomach, and duodenum and then into bile ducts.

Front 9

computed tomography (CT)

Back 9

Imaging technique in which a series of x-ray films are obtained to visualize internal organs in multiple views including in cross section. A CT scan is performed using a circular array of x-ray beams to produce the cross-sectional image based on differences in tissue densities.

Front 10

abdominal ultrasonography (ultrasound examination or sonography)

Back 10

Sound waves beamed into the abdomen produce an image of abdominal viscera. Ultrasonography is especially useful for examination of fluid-filled structurs such as the gallbladder.

Front 11

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Back 11

Magnetic and radio waves produce images of organs and tissues in all three planes of the body. This technique does not use x-rays and shows subtle differences in tissue composition.

Front 12

liver scan

Back 12

Image of the liver after injecting radioactive material into the blood stream. Radioactive material (a pharmaceutical radionuclide) is injected intravenously and taken up by the liver cells. An image of the liver (scintiscan) is made using a special scanner (gamma camera) that records radiosotope uptake by the liver cells.

Front 13

gastric bypass

Back 13

Reducing the size of the stomach and diverting good to the jejunum (gastrojejunostomy). This is bariatric (bar/o = weight) surgery for severe obesity.

Front 14

gastrointestinal endoscopy

Back 14

Visual examination of the gastrointestinal tract using an endoscope. A physician places a flexible fiberoptic tube through the mouth or the anus to view parts of the gastrointestinal tract.

Front 15

Virtual colonoscopy

Back 15

CT colonography combines CT scanning and computer technology to enable physicians to examine the entire length of the colon noninvasively in just minutes. Because this is only a screening procedure, patients with positive findings require conventional colnoscopy afterward.

Front 16

laparoscopy

Back 16

Visual (endoscopic) examination of the abdomen with a laparoscope inserted through small incisions in the abdomen.

Front 17

liver biopsy

Back 17

Removal of liver tissue followed by microscopic visualization. A physician inserts a needle through the skin to remove a small piece of tissue for microscopic examination. The average sample is less than 1 inch long. The procedure helps doctors diagnose cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis, and tumors of the liver.

Front 18

nosogastric intubation

Back 18

Insert of a tube through the nose into the stomach. Physicians use a nasogastric (NG)tube to remove fluid postoperatively and to obtain gastric or intestinal contents for analysis.

Front 19

paracentesis (abdominocentesis)

Back 19

Surgical puncture to remove fluid from the abdomen. This procedure is necessary to drain fluid (accumulated in ascites) from the peritoneal (abdominal) cavity.