Chapter Summary

• The gastrointestinal system contains the upper gastrointestinal system (mouth, teeth, tongue, salivary glands, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, and duodenum), the lower gastrointestinal system (small intestine, large intestine, rectum, anal canal, and anus), the accessory digestive organs (liver, gallbladder, and pancreas), and the accessory systems (nervous and sensory systems).
• While physical assessment of the client is required, the nurse should also obtain a history of the client’s dietary practices, dietary intolerances or allergies, typical eating and bowel patterns, changes in normal eating or bowel patterns, recent unintentional weight loss or gain, and any medical diagnoses or surgical history for proper assessment.
• Digestive organs ingest, digest, and absorb the food that is taken into the body to convert it to usable energy.
• The body removes all usable nutrients and water from food intake and then eliminates the rest as a waste product, stool.
• The nurse’s role is to educate the client on the proper dietary practices that will help maintain gut homeostasis and to evaluate steps the client can take to prevent gut issues when they must take medications that can upset that homeostasis.