Alcohol and the liver Flashcards
What is steatosis?
fatty liver
What is steatohepatitis?
inflammation of fatty liver
What conditions/diseases of the liver are related to alcohol?
- fatty liver
- cirrhosis
- alcoholic hepatitis
What are some physical signs of chronic liver disease?
- ascites
- spider naevi
- palmar erythema
- loss of axially hair and pubic hair
- jaundice
- muscle wasting
What is spider naevi?
collection of swollen blood vessels found close to the skin
What is hepatic encephalopathy?
a range of neurodisorders related to hepatic insufficiency
What is portal hypertension?
increase blood pressure in the portal system
What is spontaneous bacterial peritonitis?
this is an acute complication of liver cirrhosis and is due to an infection of ascitic fluid in the abdomen.
What are the signs of SBP (spontaneous bacterial peritonitis)
- recurring bowel distention
- fever
- rigors
- abdominal pain/tenderness
- altered mental state
- GI bleed
Treatment/management for SBP?
- ascitic drainage
- IV antibiotics
- IV albumin
What Is alcoholic hepatitis?
inflammation of the liver due to alcohol
How does alcoholic hepatitis present?
- jaundice
- altered mental state
- encephalopathy
- infection
What is albumin and why is it important?
a protein made by liver and it helps keeps fluid in blood stream so it doesn’t leak to other tissues
we can use this to treat to to test.
IV albumin if PT is low in such
What are the functions os the liver?
protein synthesis
fat metabolism
breakdown and detox of drugs/toxics
regulates blood glucose and lipids
What are the most common pathologies presented in relation to
- liver
- gallbladder
- extra hepatic bile ducts
- jaundice, cirrhosis, tumors
- inflammation
- obstruction
What are the most presented causes of acute liver injury?
- Hepatitis (inflammation of the liver)
- bile obstruction
- alcohol
what is jaundice?
discolouration of mucosal membrane, skin, sclera
What is jaundice due to?
abnormal accumulation of bilirubin
What are the 3 categories/normal pathway of jaundice
note that this is also the classification for abnormality
- pre-hepatic (takes place In spleen)
- Hepatic (intra-hepatic)
- Post- hepatic
What is cholestasis
accumulation of bile within hepatocytes or bile ducts/caniliculi
What are the cases of intra-hepatic bile duct obstruction that lead to jaundice?
- primary biliary cholangitis
- primary sclerosing cholangitis
- Tumors of liver
What is PBC?
an inflammatory (granulotomous inflammation) of bile ducts.
An autoimmune disease that affects F>M
this can lead to cirrhosis of the liver
What is the key diagnostic test that should be performed in relation to PBC?
An alkaline phosphatase test
What are the hepatic causes of jaundice
- cholestasis
2. intra-hepatic bile duct obstruction
What is PSC?
a condition in which the intra or extra hepatic ducts become strictured and fibrotic
what other condition is PSC linked to?
Ulcerative colitis
What are the causes of liver cirrhosis
- alcohol
- hepatitis B,C
- immune mediated liver disease
- metabolic conditions (Primary haemochromatosis, Wilson’s disease)
What are post hepatic causes of jaundice?
- Cholelithiasis (gallstones)
- Diseases of gall bladder (acute and chronic Cholecystitis)
- Extra-hepatic duct obstruction
