Intestinal Motility Changes

CLINICAL DIAGNOSTIC MANUAL

Changes in intestinal motility refer to alterations in the normal movement of the intestines, which can lead to a variety of gastrointestinal symptoms such as constipation, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and bloating.

These changes can result from multiple factors, including dietary modifications, metabolic disorders, medications, neurological diseases, and psychological conditions. Identifying the underlying cause is essential for providing appropriate treatment and improving the patient’s quality of life.

Pathology	Symptoms and Clinical Signs	Suspected Diagnosis	Confirmatory Diagnosis
Dietary changes	Constipation or diarrhoea, abdominal pain, changes in stool frequency and consistency	History of recent dietary changes, physical examination	Dietary evaluation, food diary
Colonic carcinoma	Changes in bowel habits, rectal bleeding, weight loss, abdominal pain, anaemia	History of gastrointestinal symptoms, physical examination	Colonoscopy, biopsy, abdominal CT scan
Medication-induced	Constipation or diarrhoea associated with starting a new medication, no other infectious symptoms	History of medication use, physical examination	Medication history review, discontinuation test
Depression	Constipation, fatigue, loss of interest, appetite changes, sleep disturbances	History of depressive symptoms, physical examination	Psychiatric evaluation, mental health questionnaires
Immobility	Constipation, abdominal pain, decreased mobility	History of prolonged immobility, physical examination	Medical history, mobility assessment
Brain injury	Constipation or diarrhoea, faecal incontinence, neurological alterations	History of brain trauma or disease, neurological examination	Brain MRI, brain CT scan
Spinal cord injury	Constipation, faecal incontinence, weakness or paralysis, sensory disturbances	History of spinal trauma or disease, neurological examination	Spinal MRI, spinal CT scan
Hypothyroidism	Constipation, fatigue, weight gain, dry skin, bradycardia	History of hypothyroid symptoms, physical examination	Thyroid function tests (TSH, free T4)
Hyperthyroidism	Diarrhoea, weight loss, palpitations, heat intolerance, tremors	History of hyperthyroid symptoms, physical examination	Thyroid function tests (TSH, free T4)
Hypercalcaemia	Constipation, abdominal pain, nausea, weakness, polyuria	History of hypercalcaemia symptoms, physical examination	Serum calcium levels, PTH, renal function tests
Hypokalaemia	Constipation, muscle weakness, cramps, arrhythmias	History of hypokalaemia symptoms, physical examination	Serum potassium levels, ECG