Delayed Gastric Emptying after Pancreaticoduodenectomy: The Hunt Continues

Gastric emptying occurs when the stomach gradually releases chyme into the duodenum. When the stomach is distended, it triggers the release of gastrin, a hormone that promotes gastric acid secretion to aid in digestion. Additionally, stomach distension contributes to peristaltic waves that propel gastric contents toward the pyloric region. The gastroenteric reflex, on the other hand, primarily stimulates peristalsis in the intestines, facilitating the movement of contents further along the...

Gastric motility is the coordinated contraction and relaxation of stomach muscles that convert ingested food into chyme, a semi-liquid substance ready for further digestion in the intestines. The process begins with the vagus nerve inducing the relaxation of the smooth muscles in the fundus and body of the stomach, allowing these regions to expand and accommodate up to approximately 1.5 liters of food and liquid.
Peristaltic Waves and Chyme Formation
Upon food entry, the stomach initiates...

The gastric phase of digestion begins as soon as food enters the stomach. The incoming food bolus triggers neural and hormonal mechanisms, which last approximately 3 to 4 hours. During this phase, the stomach undergoes significant changes to prepare the food for further digestion and absorption.
When food enters the stomach, it stretches the stomach walls and activates stretch receptors. This triggers local reflexes of the enteric nervous system, mediated through the myenteric plexus. These...

Continuing care describes the variety of health, personal, and social services provided over a prolonged period. The need for continuing care is increasing because people are living longer. Many people do not have families or others to care for them. Continuing care is mainly for patients who are disabled, functionally dependent, or suffering from a terminal disease. It is available within institutional settings or in homes. Examples include nursing centers or facilities, assisted living,...

A function is continuous at a point a if three conditions are met: the function is defined at a, the limit of the function as x approaches a exists, and this limit equals the function’s value. Mathematically, this is written asThis definition ensures the graph of the function does not exhibit any breaks, holes, or jumps at that point. Discontinuities occur when any of these conditions fail. A removable discontinuity exists when the two-sided limit exists but the function is either...

The continuity equation asserts that the mass flow rate must remain constant for a steady flow of an incompressible fluid within a confined system. This principle applies to systems where fluid passes through varying cross-sectional areas, such as nozzles, syringes, and pipes.
The mass flow rate is expressed as: