Random Education: Digestive Tract Anatomy

Educating you on randomly selected medical topics until you become a doctor. Part 18. Okay, Phil, why don't you get us started on rounds? — Uh, sure. Uh, we have a 60 Oh. Usually that doesn't happen until hour five of rounds. It looks like his stomach hurts. I did see him eating hospital cafeteria sushi earlier. Consumption of raw fish in a place where the scariest bacteria imaginable live. Interesting choice. — Gastroenteritis most likely. Let's say it's salmonella. What is the pathogen doing to Phil's bowels right now? It's invading his mucosa, the innermost layer of the gut wall. Yes. destroying his epithelium, resulting in inflammation and eventually massive amounts of diarrhea. — No. Could this cause an ulcer in his GI tract? It sure can. If the infection extends deeper into the sub mucosa and deeper still into the muscularis externa. Okay, but what if Phil's infection is just contained to the mucosa? That would be considered an erosion. Unfortunately, salmonella have multiple fugella allowing it to burrow deep into the intestinal wall. I'm dying. You know, it's unlikely, but if the infection penetrates the sorosa, which is the outermost layer of the gut, that's right. Then we'd have a pretty big problem on our hands. Would we have to postpone rounds? I'm afraid we might possibly have to maybe consider that. Please kill me. Please. Okay, let's talk about all possible treatment options, shall