Diagnosis and Treatment of Abdominal Angina - Essay Example

"Diagnosis and Treatment of Abdominal Angina" is a wonderful example of a paper on the gastrointestinal system.
In clinical terms, the term angina is used to describe chest pain caused by cardiac ischemia. Angina is a Latin word that means “to strangle or choke” and is generally used as an idiom to describe ischemic pain in other parts of the body, not particularly the heart. Therefore, abdominal angina, abbreviated as AA, refers to the discomfort or pain in the digestive tract when there is an interference with blood supply to the tissues of digestion organs. The interference of this blood supply is mainly caused by atherosclerosis in the intestinal and mesenteric vasculature (Tyson, 2010). The American Medical Association (AMA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) both define abdominal angina as a condition that occurs when two or more main blood vessels to the mesentery tend to have an occlusion or show signs of stenosis (Belohlavek, 2009).

Diagnosis

Since abdominal angina is an indication of a life-threatening situation, stakeholders in the health sector need to understand its implications and be in a position to recognize the risk factors and symptoms associated with it. Detecting the disease early enough increases its treatment options and the possibilities of the patient recovering fully. Today’s research on abdominal angina shows gender plays a significant role in the development of the disease. Women’s vulnerability to the disease is three times more than that of men. Age also plays a significant role. The onset of this disease is most mostly at 60.

When diagnosing a patient with abdominal angina, it is important to determine whether the patient has ever experienced atherosclerotic conditions or symptoms in the past. Doing this may serve as an indicator of atherosclerotic etiology for abdominal angina. Previous pathologies such as cerebrovascular disease, PVD, or coronary artery disease show that arterial hardening is a problem for the patient. Other risk factors may include hypertension, blood clotting disorders, heart failure, prior abdominal surgery, use of oral contraceptives, and certain types of cancer, particularly those affecting the gut (Belohlavek, 2009).

Pathophysiology of AA

The common cause of abdominal angina is the atherosclerotic disease of mesenteric arteries. The blockage of the arteries involves the Ostia or some part of the mesenteric vessels. In most cases, the aortoiliac disease is common in patients with abdominal angina and can cause lesions of the Ostia. Superior mesenteric, celiac and inferior mesenteric are the three major arteries that supply blood to the digestive system (Belohlavek, 2009). Unless there is significance in the blockage of two or more of the mentioned arteries, there is a possibility of collaterals developing among the existing vasculature. It ensures that tissues are properly perfused, although in a compromised fashion. Abdominal pain, which is the hallmark of abdominal angina symptomology, comes in when the digestion processes need more blood flow to the digestive system. The pain usually caused by ischemia of the affected tissues that do not receive the required perfusion to carry out digestive processes (Tyson, 2010).

Clinical applications

The study of AA helps health providers in clinics and hospitals to properly diagnose patients with this disease. By applying strict diagnosis standards, the evidence of AA can only be found through vessel imagery to show that two or more vessels have been occluded in some way. Once the health provider has this information at hand, he or she can proceed to determine the seriousness of the blockage.

Since this disease was initially diagnosed almost a century ago, very minor studies have been carried out on this life-threatening disease (Tyson, 2010). The disease has serious repercussions on the health of those affected, especially the elderly. Studying more about this disease will play a crucial role in reducing its effects on the patients affected.