Exam #1 Study Guide: GI Bleed And Acute Liver Failure/Liver Transplant Flashcards
Acute GI Hemorrhage
- Bleeding in the upper or lower GI tract
- Medical emergency -> potentially life threatening
Acute GI Hemorrhage: Common Causes
- Peptic Ulcer Disease
- Stress-related mucosal disease (SRMD)
- Esophagogastric varices
Peptic Ulcer Disease
Protective mechanisms cease to function and allow gastroduodenal mucosal breakdown.
Stress-related mucosal disease (SRMD)
Increased acid production and decreased mucosal blood flow
Esophagogastric varices
Portal hypertension
*Need more info, especially pathophysiology
Acute GI Hemorrhage: Pathophysiology
Acute massive bleeding -> hypovolemic shock -> multiple organ dysfunction syndrome
Why does a liver failure patient have hypovolemia?**
Liver can’t synthesize aldosterone and break it down. (You hold on to aldosterone -> Na retention -> water retention)
*Listen to recording on 5/15
Acute GI Hemorrhage: Clinical presentation
- Hematemesis
- Hematochezia and Melena ?
Acute GI Hemorrhage: Lab Studies
- Hemoglobin and hematocrit are poor indicators of severity of blood loss if bleeding is acute.
- Platelet count and prothrombin time
Acute GI Hemorrhage: Diagnostic Procedures
- Urgent endoscopy
- Tagged RBC scan
- Angiogram (not done as often, often use scopes)
Acute GI Hemorrhage: Medical Management
- Stabilize
- Control the bleed
- Surgical intervention
Acute GI Hemorrhage Management: Stabilization
- Restoration of adequate circulating blood volume: Administer crystalloids, blood and blood products
- Supplemental Oxygen Therapy: Intubation (d/t decrease in RBC’s = decreased oxygen carrying ability)
- Insertion of nasogastric tube: to confirm diagnosis and prepare site for endoscopic evaluation.
Acute GI Hemorrhage: Controlling the Bleeding for Peptic Ulcer Disease
- Endoscopic injection therapy (inject medicine that causes vasoconstriction i.e epinephrine)
- Endoscopic thermal therapy (with endoscope, burn the area)
Acute GI Hemorrhage Medical Management: Controlling the bleeding for stress-related mucosal disease
- Intraarterial infusion of vasopressin
- Intraarterial embolization
Acute GI Hemorrhage Medical Management: Controlling the bleeding for Esophageal Varices
- Intravenous vasopressin, somatostatin, or octreotide
- Endoscopic variceal ligation
- Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunting (TIPS)
Acute GI Hemorrhage Medical Management: Surgical Intervention for PUD
Vagotomy (cuts vagal nerve = decrease in gastric acid production) and pyloroplasty
Acute GI Hemorrhage Medical Management: Surgical Intervention for stress ulcers
- Total Gastrectomy
- Oversew of ulcers
Acute GI Hemorrhage Medical Management: Surgical Intervention for Esophageal Varices
- Portacaval shunt
- Mesocaval shunt
- Splenorenal shunt (increases perfusion to the kidneys)
*Not going to be tested on shunt, but understand why its done
Acute GI Hemorrhage Nursing Management: Nursing priorities are directed toward
- Administering volume replacement
- Controlling the bleeding
- Providing comfort and emotional support
- Maintaining surveillance for complications such as hypovolemic shock and gastric perforation
- Educating the patient and family (how to prevent it in the future, treatment, what to look for)
Acute GI Hemorrhage Patient Education includes
- Specific cause
- Precipitating factor modification
- Interventions to reduce further bleeding episodes
- Importance of taking medications
- Lifestyle changes
- Stress management
- Diet modifications
- Alcohol and smoking cessation
Acute Liver Failure is characterized by:
- Severe acute liver cell dysfunction
- Coagulopathy
- Hepatic encephalopathy
What is the definitive treatment for liver failure?
Liver transplantation is the definitive treatment
Acute Liver Failure Etiology
- Infections
- Drugs
- Toxins (i.e wild mushrooms)
- Hypoperfusion
- Metabolic disorders
- Surgery
Acute Liver Failure Pathophysiology: Occurs over
1-3 weeks
Acute Liver Failure Pathophysiology: Hepatic Encephalopathy occurs
Within 8 weeks.
Usually less than 2 weeks between liver failure and onset of encephalopathy