AAMC 4 No. 16 Ecoli/Appendicitis

[SaintJude]

Passage tells you E.coli inhabits colon and patient then get appendicitis.

What are you supposed to understand to answer this question?
16.) The patient's ruptured appendix required treatment with antibiotics because he had a bacterial infection caused by

A. M. tuberculosis ---NO
B. E.coli entering the colon from the appendix.
C. E. coli entering the abdominal cavity from the appendix
D. E.colid entering the appendix from the colon.

About D. How did you know that this described the normal conditions?!

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[SaintJude]

Ummm...kaushik, are you there? (I feel like I'm calling out for Batman...)

 

[Temperature101]

Passage tells you E.coli inhabits colon and patient then get appendicitis.

What are you supposed to understand to answer this question?
16.) The patient's ruptured appendix required treatment with antibiotics because he had a bacterial infection caused by

A. M. tuberculosis ---NO
B. E.coli entering the colon from the appendix.
C. E. coli entering the abdominal cavity from the appendix
D. E.colid entering the appendix from the colon.

About D. How did you know that this described the normal conditions?!

When your appendix ruptures, the content of your colon (E-coli lives and thrives in there) goes to the abdominal cavity, which probably will cause infection of the abdominal wall or peritoneal cavity (peritonitis). As far as D, appendix is part of your colon already; why would E-coli use your colon as a port of entry to get to it?...It's is already there....

 

[SaintJude]

Temp101, could you please offer a quick anatomy review-Kaplan doesn't emphasize anatomy . How did you even know the appendix is part of you colon?

Thank you for your last post!!!

 

[Temperature101]

This is part of the ascending colon...Fecal matter tend to block it, which can cause infection. As a natural process when infection happen, the appendix swells and might burst open to spill out content of your colon the the abdominal cavity, which will problably cause infection of the lining of the abdominal wall. I know the appendix is part of your colon from my anatomy class. I think this should be beyond the scope of the MCAT since anatomy is not in their content of BS.

 

[SaintJude]

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[SaintJude]

appendix swells and might burst open to spill out content of your colon the the abdominal cavity

food usually enters like this:
abdominal cavity---> small intestine---> ascending colon--> transverse--> descending--> cecum ?

And E.coli moves "back" in the tract and enters the abdominal cavity?

Q: So if the patient got his appendix removed after the hospital, the next time Ecoli moves into the abdominal cavity, will he get a stomach infection?

Hey, this was on AAMC 4, so it's apparently fair game!

 

[MedPR]

The appendix is not part of your colon, it is simply attached to it the same way your stomach is attached to your small intestine.

E.coli live in your GI tract and are especially abundant in the large intestine. You don't really need to know this to answer the question though. The question says that the appendix ruptures, so all you need to know is where in the body the appendix is (the abdominal cavity). If bacteria go somehwere they aren't supposed to be, they will overgro and cause infection.

 

[MedPR]

food usually enters like this:
abdominal cavity---> small intestine---> ascending colon--> transverse--> descending--> cecum ?

And E.coli moves "back" in the tract and enters the abdominal cavity?

Q: So if the patient got his appendix removed after the hospital, the next time Ecoli moves into the abdominal cavity, will he get a stomach infection?

Hey, this was on AAMC 4, so it's apparently fair game!

No. Mouth -> Esophagus -> Stomach -> Small Intestine (Duodenum, Jejunum, Ileum) -> Large Intestine (Cecum, Ascending, Transverse, Descending, Sigmoid, Rectum) -> Anus.

Also no; If the appendix is removed surgically the cecum (which is what the appendix is attached to) will just be sutured and sealed. Intestinal contents will just flow from small to large intestine as per usual. We didn't go into much depth, my A&P teacher told us that the appendix acts to constantly screen intestinal contents for bacterium and other crap (just like the other lymphatic organs). Contrary to popular belief, the appendix is not useless, just redundant.

 

[Temperature101]

The appendix is not part of your colon, it is simply attached to it the same way your stomach is attached to your small intestine.

E.coli live in your GI tract and are especially abundant in the large intestine. You don't really need to know this to answer the question though. The question says that the appendix ruptures, so all you need to know is where in the body the appendix is (the abdominal cavity). If bacteria go somehwere they aren't supposed to be, they will overgro and cause infection.

I meant connected to the ascending colon...This is just semantic

 

[Temperature101]

food usually enters like this:
abdominal cavity---> small intestine---> ascending colon--> transverse--> descending--> cecum ?

And E.coli moves "back" in the tract and enters the abdominal cavity?

Q: So if the patient got his appendix removed after the hospital, the next time Ecoli moves into the abdominal cavity, will he get a stomach infection?

Hey, this was on AAMC 4, so it's apparently fair game!

I think you need a quick review of Anatomy...The abdominal cavity is NOT part of your GI tract.

 

[MedPR]

I meant connected to the ascending colon...This is just semantic

It's not attached to the ascending colon.

 

[Temperature101]

It's not attached to the ascending colon.

How would you describe its anatomical position then? This is what I find regarding its anatomical position...

"The appendicitis is also defined as inflammation of the appendix, which is a small tissue that enlarges from the large intestine about 3 1/2-inch-long. Appendix can be local or general depending on the area infected by the peritonitis around the inflamed appendix"

 

[MedPR]

How would you describe its anatomical position then?

It's attached to the cecum.