Anaesthesia Fundamentals | Physiology | Gastric Function

Gastric Function
Session Overview
Description
The stomach acts as a reservoir and converts the episodic input of food from the oesophagus to a more continuous output of chyme into the duodenum. It is important in the mechanical breakdown of food and the chemical digestion of proteins.

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

• Describe the fundamentals of normal gastric function
• Identify factors which may disrupt normal physiology
• Determine the consequences of abnormal function
• Propose measures to compensate for pathophysiology

An understanding of normal gastric function is important for anaesthetists. Impaired gastric emptying increases the risk of regurgitation and the potential for contamination of the lungs. This may produce severe difficulties with oxygenation.

This session covers the normal functioning of the stomach and how it is affected by various factors. The consequences of abnormal physiology are considered and compensatory measures proposed.