Medical Probes: Types, Uses, and Nutritional Considerations
Medical Probes: Types and Uses
Medical probes are tubes inserted into a cavity or duct to remove or introduce substances for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes. Here’s a breakdown of different probe types:
1. Nasogastric Probes
A flexible tube is introduced into the stomach via the nose or mouth for preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic reasons.
Salem Sump Tube
This nasogastric probe is designed to drain stomach contents through suction, either intermittently or continuously. It features two lumens: one for suction and the other for air inlet, which improves suction and prevents injury to the stomach walls.
2. Intestinal Tubes
These tubes are inserted through the nose, past the stomach and pylorus, to reach the small intestine (duodenum or jejunum). They are long and thin to facilitate placement and are transported by intestinal peristalsis.
3. Enteral Nutrition Probes
These probes are suitable for administering food to patients who cannot eat orally. They are typically made of flexible silicone materials like Nutrisoft Silk.
4. Gastrostomy Probes
These probes are used to introduce food into a tube or catheter placed in a section of the digestive tract, from the pharynx to the ileum. They are named according to the insertion area and are surgically inserted through a stoma, requiring careful management.
5. Blakemore Probe
Inserted through the mouth or nose into the stomach, this probe has three lumens:
- Gastric Central Lumen: Used for administering substances and aspirating gastric contents.
- Esophageal Balloon Lumen: Used to inflate a cylindrical balloon to compress esophageal varices.
- Gastric Balloon Lumen: Used to inflate a balloon that achieves tamponade of the cardia sphincter and anchors the probe.
6. Rectal Probe
Used to facilitate the evacuation of gases and accumulated feces, and to administer enemas.
Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies
Understanding the impact of vitamin and mineral deficiencies is crucial for maintaining overall health:
Vitamin Deficiencies
- Vitamin A: Hearing disorders.
- Vitamin D: Rickets in children, osteomalacia in adults.
- Vitamin E: Anemia.
- Vitamin K: Bleeding and coagulation disorders.
- Vitamin B: Beri-beri.
- Vitamin C: Scurvy (degeneration of the skin, bleeding gums, subcutaneous bleeding, joint alterations, and impaired wound healing).
Mineral Deficiencies
- Calcium: Rickets, osteoporosis, growth retardation, and convulsions.
- Iron: Iron deficiency anemia.
- Fluoride: Increased susceptibility to tooth decay.
- Iodine: Goiter.
Medical Vocabulary
- Gastrin: A hormone that stimulates the secretion of gastric acid and pepsin, and weakly stimulates pancreatic enzyme secretion and gallbladder contraction.
- Dysphagia: Difficulty in transporting the food bolus from the mouth to the stomach.
- Peptic Ulcer: Heartburn.
- Chyme: An aqueous solution of proteins, sugars, and undigested fats.
- Insulin and Glucagon: Hormones secreted by the pancreas (islets of Langerhans) that regulate blood glucose levels.
- Enzymes: Proteins that facilitate chemical reactions with minimal energy expenditure.
- Almodines: Carbohydrates or large molecular size carbohydrates formed by the union of thousands of glucose molecules.
- Amylase: An enzyme that digests or breaks down starches.
- Monosaccharides: Simple sugars like glucose, galactose, and fructose.
- Disaccharides: Sugars composed of two monosaccharide molecules, such as maltose, lactose, and sucrose.
- Amino Acids: Simpler units that can decompose protein.
- Peptides: Medium-sized molecules composed of amino acids.
- Glycerine: An alcohol that is part of fats.
- Fatty Acid: A molecule that is part of fat and determines whether it is solid (like tallow and lard) or liquid (like oil and sunflower oil).
- Liposoluble Vitamins: Vitamins insoluble in water but soluble in lipids (vitamins A, D, E, K).