The Pulse | Friday, January 4, 2019

Word of the Week: Bezoars

To kick off the New Year, we are highlighting “Bezoar” as the Word of the Week. As always, all of the terms and definitions are sourced from our very own SGNA GI/Endoscopy Nursing Review Course Certification Study Manual, 3rd Edition (2016).

Bezoar: A Bezoar is a solid mass of indigestible material that accumulates in your digestive tract, sometimes causing a blockage. Bezoars usually form in the stomach, sometimes in the small intestine or, rarely, the large intestine. There are three types: phytobezoars (plant), trichobezoars (hair) and lactobezoars (milk curd).

• Etiology
  • Phytobezoars – males over 30
  • Trichobezoars – females under 30
  • Lactobezoar – infants (rare now with advancement in formula)
• Symptoms
  • Fullness/nausea and vomiting
  • Epigastric pain
  • Palpable mass
  • Anorexia
  • Bleeding due to ulceration
• Treatment
  • Phytobezoars – plant vegetable may be associated with motility disorders and in patients who have had a vagotomy. Endoscopic removal.
  • Trichobezoars – hair that has been chewed, commonly surgically removal is necessary as the hair forms a concrete mesh that cannot be removed endoscopically.
  • Lactobezoar – milk curds seldom seen now with pre-mixed formulas. Formula feeding is held, infants fed with Pedialyte or sterile water.