Gastroenterology · UKMLA & AKT
Constipation
A free high-yield preview for the UKMLA Applied Knowledge Test, covering how to recognise this condition. The full SA Note notes add investigations, management and complications, with practice questions on this topic.
Key high-yield points
- Classic and frequently overlooked cause of acute-onset confusion in elderly patients - visceral discomfort and autonomic stress from colonic distension triggers delirium in a vulnerable brain
- Clues: palpable fullness in the left iliac fossa, mild abdominal discomfort, no fever, normal observations
Always consider constipation before attributing new confusion to infection or dementia progression - it is one of the most common presentations in elderly inpatients.
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