Surgery | Common Surgical Conditions | General Surgery Dyspepsia

General Surgery: Dyspepsia
Session Overview
Description
This session outlines the presentation, investigation and management of causes of dyspepsia.

Learning Objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Discuss key aspects of history of patient presenting with epigastric pain
• Formulate a differential diagnosis for dyspepsia
• List key investigations for dyspepsia
• Discuss conservative, medical and surgical management of dyspepsia

Prerequisites
Before commencing this session you should (complete):

• Review the definition of dyspepsia – epigastric discomfort or pain, usually after eating
• Understand the normal physiological mechanisms of gastric mucosa protection and prevention of reflux
• Review the anatomy of the upper gastrointestinal tract

Dyspepsia

This session covers all aspects of dyspepsia aiming to give you a comprehensive, rounded understanding of this broad topic with regards to symptoms, causes and the specifics of investigation.

Dyspepsia is any symptom of the upper gastrointestinal tract, present for four weeks or more, including upper abdominal pain or discomfort, heartburn, acid reflux, nausea or vomiting.

The prevalence of dyspepsia is estimated to be 23–41% of the population. Approximately a quarter of these people will consult a primary care clinician of which 10% of these consultations will lead to referral for further investigation [1].