Abstract
Gastrointestinal diseases are the cause of more than 10% of all hospital admissions and medical consultations. Acute infections such as gastroenteritis are the commonest cause of medical consultation; appendicitis the commonest cause of emergency surgery; and carcinoma of the stomach, large intestine or rectum the most frequent cause of death from diseases of this system. In the young gastroenteritis can be lethal; in the mature patient gastrointestinal disturbance is a frequent cause of chronic disability, and in the elderly malignant disease of the system causes 10% of all deaths.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1981 A. D. G. Gunn
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Gunn, A.D.G. (1981). The Gastrointestinal System. In: Differential Diagnosis. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-8060-0_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-8060-0_5
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-009-8062-4
Online ISBN: 978-94-009-8060-0
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive