Alcoholic liver disease Flashcards
What conditions are covered under alcoholic liver disease?
Alcoholic liver disease covers a spectrum of conditions: alcoholic fatty liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis, and cirrhosis.
What is characteristically elevated in alcoholic liver disease?
Gamma-GT is characteristically elevated.
What is the normal AST:ALT ratio in alcoholic liver disease?
The ratio of AST:ALT is normally > 2.
What AST:ALT ratio is strongly suggestive of acute alcoholic hepatitis?
A ratio of > 3 is strongly suggestive of acute alcoholic hepatitis.
What is often used during acute episodes of alcoholic hepatitis?
Glucocorticoids (e.g. prednisolone) are often used during acute episodes of alcoholic hepatitis.
What is Maddrey’s discriminant function (DF) used for?
Maddrey’s discriminant function (DF) is often used during acute episodes to determine who would benefit from glucocorticoid therapy.
How is Maddrey’s discriminant function (DF) calculated?
It is calculated by a formula using prothrombin time and bilirubin concentration.
What other medication is sometimes used for alcoholic hepatitis?
Pentoxyphylline is also sometimes used.
What did the STOPAH study compare?
The STOPAH study compared the two common treatments for alcoholic hepatitis, pentoxyphylline and prednisolone.
What were the findings of the STOPAH study regarding prednisolone?
The study showed that prednisolone improved survival at 28 days.
What were the findings of the STOPAH study regarding pentoxyphylline?
The study showed that pentoxyphylline did not improve outcomes.
