Gastrointestinal drugs
This chapter discusses gastrointestinal drugs and includes discussion on H2 blockers and proton pump inhibitors (including discussion on physiology of acid secretion, pharmacology, pathophysiology of stress ulcers, stress ulcer prophylaxis, and treatment of acute bleeding after endoscopy), antiemetics (including discussion on mechanisms of nausea and vomiting, antiemetic drugs, and clinical approach), gut motility agents (indications, erythromycin, erythromycin versus metoclopramide, metoclopramide, domperidone, cisapride, neostigmine, and alternative treatment strategies), antidiarrhoeals (risk factors and causes of diarrhoea, antidiarrhoeal drugs, and enteral supplements), and constipation in critical care. This includes pathophysiology of and risk factors for constipation, treatments including bulk-forming, stimulating, osmotic, and emollient laxatives, as well as suppositories and enemas, motility agents, and opioid antagonists. It also outlines special circumstances, including palliative care, spinal cord injury, and liver failure patients.