Gastrointestinal & Genitourinary for the AANP FNP exam
Common chronic conditions: GERD, peptic ulcer, IBS, IBD. Plus the most common outpatient infection: UTI. This chapter has 22 topics, a video lecture, an audio lesson, clinical scenarios, exam pearls and a quiz.
What you will learn
- Identify GERD alarm symptoms requiring endoscopy
- Test and treat H. pylori
- Differentiate UTI from pyelonephritis and select first-line antibiotics
- Stage CKD and identify when to refer to nephrology
Topics in this chapter
- GERD and esophageal diseaseGERD diagnosis (clinical), alarm symptoms, PPI step-up, lifestyle, Barrett, eosinophilic esophagitis.
- Peptic ulcer disease & H. pyloriPeptic ulcer disease, H. pylori test-and-treat, quadruple therapy, NSAID-induced PUD prevention.
- Inflammatory bowel diseaseCrohn vs UC distinguishing features, biologics, surveillance, extraintestinal manifestations.
- Irritable bowel syndromeRome IV criteria, IBS-C/D/M, low FODMAP, antispasmodics, neuromodulators, IBS-specific drugs.
- Viral hepatitisHepatitis A/B/C/D/E: transmission, vaccines, serology interpretation, DAA treatment for HCV, HBV management.
- Gallbladder and biliaryCholelithiasis vs cholecystitis vs choledocholithiasis vs cholangitis. Charcot triad. Workup, treatment.
- Diverticular diseaseDiverticulosis vs diverticulitis, complicated vs uncomplicated, outpatient vs inpatient treatment.
- Constipation and diarrheaConstipation workup and management, acute and chronic diarrhea, C. diff, malabsorption, celiac.
- Cirrhosis and chronic liver diseaseCirrhosis complications (ascites, varices, HE, HRS, HCC), Child-Pugh and MELD, alcohol/NASH/HBV/HCV.
- BPH and prostateBPH symptoms (LUTS, IPSS), alpha-blockers, 5-ARIs, surgical options, prostate cancer recap.
- Erectile dysfunction and male sexual healthED workup, PDE-5 inhibitors, contraindications with nitrates, hypogonadism (recap), male infertility.
- Kidney diseaseCKD staging, AKI causes (pre/intra/post), nephrolithiasis types and treatment, glomerular disease basics.
- Male genitourinary conditionsUrethritis (GC/CT), epididymitis vs testicular torsion, varicocele, hydrocele, testicular cancer screening.
- Acute Appendicitis and the Acute-Abdomen VignetteThe classic acute-abdomen vignette: periumbilical pain migrating to the right lower quadrant, McBurney point tenderness, Rovsing/psoas/obturator signs, and the imaging choice by age and pregnancy status.
- Bladder Cancer and the Painless Hematuria VignettePainless gross hematuria in an older smoker is bladder cancer until proven otherwise: the classic vignette, risk factors, and the cystoscopy-plus-imaging workup.
- Liver Function Test Interpretation PatternsReading LFT panels by pattern: AST/ALT ratio clues, hepatocellular versus cholestatic injury, and what ALP plus GGT tell you about the source.
- Urinalysis InterpretationReading the UA: nitrites and leukocyte esterase for infection, the casts that localize disease, and what proteinuria plus hematuria findings mean.
- Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome and RhabdomyolysisTwo refractory-presentation vignettes: gastrinoma (Zollinger-Ellison) behind ulcers that will not heal, and rhabdomyolysis with rising CK, dark urine, and acute kidney injury.
- Asymptomatic Bacteriuria vs True UTIThe single most-tested urinary trap: a positive urine culture without symptoms is asymptomatic bacteriuria and you do NOT treat it, except in pregnancy or before a urologic procedure that breaches the mucosa.
- Acute Pyelonephritis: Flank Pain, Fever, and the Mandatory CultureUpper-tract infection presents with fever, flank pain, and CVA tenderness rather than isolated dysuria. A urine culture is mandatory, empiric therapy is broader and longer than for cystitis, and you must know who can go home versus who needs admission.
- Acute Pancreatitis: Lipase, Causes, Severity, and ManagementEpigastric pain radiating to the back with a lipase three or more times the upper limit of normal. Gallstones and alcohol are the top two causes. Diagnosis needs two of three criteria, and early aggressive fluids plus addressing the cause drive management.
- Renal lab interpretation & see alsoQuick renal-lab interpretation, plus where the male prostate detail lives.
The full chapter is part of the membership. Open this chapter
Last updated November 4, 2026. Verify exam details against the official AANPCB Candidate Handbook before exam day.