Friday [19/08/22] Flashcards
Overall cause of hypolabuminaemia
This can be due to decreased production in the liver, increased loss in the gastrointestinal tract or kidneys, increased use in the body, or abnormal distribution between body compartments
How do patients often present with hypoalbuminemia? []
One of the roles of albumin is being the major driver of oncotic pressure (protein concentration within the blood) in the bloodstream and the body. Thus, hypoalbuminemia leads to abnormal distributions of fluids within the body and its compartments. As a result, associated symptoms include edema in the lower legs, ascites in the abdomen, and effusions around internal organs.
Which diseases often precipitate hypoalbuminemia? [3]
Patients often present with hypoalbuminemia as a result of another disease process such as malnutrition as a result of severe anorexia nervosa, sepsis, cirrhosis in the liver, nephrotic syndrome in the kidneys, or protein-losing enteropathy in the gastrointestinal tract.
Liver disease and hypoalbuminaemia
Albumin is synthesized in the liver, and low serum albumin can be indicative of liver failure or diseases such as cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis. If present, hypoalbuminemia is generally considered to be a sign of advanced hepatic cirrhosis, or irreversible damage to the liver.[3] Production of albumin can be one 60–80% lower in advanced cirrhosis than in healthy liver, an effect amplified by dilution (salt and water retention), fluid shifts (following the accumulation of albumin in extracellular space and ascitic fluid), and even post-transcriptional changes to albumin itself
What is hepatic encaphalopathy? [2]
Hepatic encephalopathy is an often-temporary neurological (nervous system) disorder due to chronic, severe liver diseas
Treatment for hepatic encaphalopathy [3]
Most patients can be effectively managed by treatment with lactulose and rifaximin and good education. Liver transplantation should be considered for those who have recurrent hepatic encephalopathy and/or significant liver synthetic dysfunction, as this intervention is curative.
Clear/straw coloured ascitic appearance fluid
liver cirrhosis
cloudy coloured ascitic fluid
bloody ascitic fluid
chylous [milk coloured] ascitic fluid
protein ascitic fluid biochemistry
glucose ascitic fluid biochemiatry
amylase ascitic fluid biochemistry
RCC ascitic fluid microscopy
WCC ascitic fluid results
Causes of high SAAG
Causes of low SAAG
How ot interpret it? [1]
