The burning feeling behind the breastbone caused by acid reflux, commonly called heartburn, is medically termed pyrosis.
Missing Word
pyrosis
Pyrosis is the clinical term for heartburn. It is the hallmark symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease and is relieved by drugs that neutralize or suppress stomach acid.
Category: Hyperacidity Basics
Question 2
Sudden, severe abdominal pain with a rigid, boardlike abdomen in a patient with a peptic ulcer suggests perforation, a hole through the stomach or duodenal wall.
Missing Word
perforation
Perforation lets gastric contents leak into the peritoneal cavity and cause peritonitis, a surgical emergency. The nurse keeps the patient NPO and notifies the provider immediately.
Category: Peptic Ulcer Complications
Question 3
Upper abdominal discomfort, fullness or burning after eating, often called indigestion, is dyspepsia.
Missing Word
dyspepsia
Dyspepsia is the clinical term for indigestion. Antacids, H2 blockers and PPIs are all used to relieve it, but persistent dyspepsia needs evaluation for ulcer, H. pylori or other disease.
Category: Hyperacidity Basics
Question 4
Proton pump inhibitors block the hydrogen-potassium ATPase in the acid-secreting parietal cells of the stomach lining.
Missing Word
parietal
Parietal cells secrete hydrochloric acid and intrinsic factor. PPIs are activated in the acidic environment of these cells, which is one reason they are taken before a meal, when the pumps are switched on.
Category: Proton Pump Inhibitors
Question 5
The ulcer-protecting drug that is taken on an empty stomach, before meals and at bedtime, so it can coat the ulcer before food arrives is sucralfate.
Missing Word
sucralfate
Sucralfate forms a sticky gel in acid that adheres to the ulcer base and shields it from acid, pepsin and bile. Because it can bind other oral drugs, those are taken at separate times.
Category: Sucralfate
Question 6
The aminopenicillin commonly combined with a proton pump inhibitor in H. pylori regimens is amoxicillin.
Missing Word
amoxicillin
Amoxicillin is an aminopenicillin to which H. pylori rarely becomes resistant, so it is a frequent part of eradication regimens; a penicillin allergy history must be checked before it is given.
Category: H. pylori Treatment
Question 7
H. pylori survives stomach acid by producing urease, an enzyme that splits urea into ammonia, and this activity is the basis of the breath test for the organism.
Missing Word
urease
Urease breaks urea down into ammonia and carbon dioxide; the ammonia buffers acid around the bacterium, and the labeled carbon dioxide it produces is detected in the breath test.
Category: H. pylori Treatment
Question 8
Inflammation of the stomach lining, which antacids and acid suppressants help relieve, is called gastritis.
Missing Word
gastritis
Gastritis is inflammation of the gastric mucosa from causes such as NSAIDs, alcohol or H. pylori. Reducing acid exposure eases symptoms while the cause is treated.
Category: Hyperacidity Basics
Question 9
Inflammation and erosion of the esophageal lining from repeated acid reflux, which proton pump inhibitors help heal, is esophagitis.
Missing Word
esophagitis
Esophagitis is inflammation of the esophagus. In reflux disease, acid damages the lining, and PPIs are the most effective drugs for healing the erosive form.
Category: Proton Pump Inhibitors
Question 10
Vomiting of blood or material that looks like coffee grounds, a sign that a peptic ulcer may be bleeding, is hematemesis.
Missing Word
hematemesis
Hematemesis means vomiting blood. Bright red blood or coffee-ground material signals upper GI bleeding, and the nurse reports it immediately along with vital sign changes.
Category: Peptic Ulcer Complications
Question 11
Black, sticky, tarry stool that results from digested blood in the upper GI tract is called melena.
Missing Word
melena
Melena is dark, tarry stool caused by blood that has been altered by digestion, a sign of bleeding from an ulcer or other upper GI source that needs prompt reporting.
Category: Peptic Ulcer Complications
Question 12
The hormone-secreting tumor of the pancreas or duodenum that causes Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, which is managed with high-dose proton pump inhibitor therapy, is a gastrinoma.
Missing Word
gastrinoma
A gastrinoma releases large amounts of gastrin, driving severe acid hypersecretion and multiple ulcers. Long-term high-dose PPI therapy is used to control the acid.
Category: Hypersecretory Conditions
Question 13
An over-the-counter weak base that relieves heartburn by neutralizing stomach acid already present is an antacid.
Missing Word
antacid
An antacid chemically neutralizes hydrochloric acid, giving fast but short relief. Antacids are meant for short-term use, and frequent need for them should be evaluated.
Category: Antacids
Question 14
Raising the pH of gastric juice reduces the activity of pepsin, the protein-digesting enzyme that can injure the stomach lining.
Missing Word
pepsin
Pepsin is activated in a strongly acidic stomach and contributes to ulcer damage. Antacids and acid suppressants raise gastric pH, which reduces pepsin activity and adds to their protective effect.
Category: Antacids
Question 15
The H2 receptor blocker given by mouth or IV that, unlike cimetidine, has little effect on liver drug-metabolizing enzymes is famotidine.
Missing Word
famotidine
Famotidine blocks histamine at H2 receptors on parietal cells to reduce acid secretion. Because it does not meaningfully inhibit CYP450 enzymes, it causes far fewer drug interactions than cimetidine, and its dose is reduced in kidney impairment.
Category: H2 Receptor Blockers