Gastro Flashcards
Causes of Acute liver failure(4)
- paracetamol overdose
- alcohol
- viral hepatitis (usually A or B)
- acute fatty liver of pregnancy
the ratio ofAST:ALT is normally > 2, a ratio of > 3 is strongly suggestive of
Acute alcoholic hepatitis
liver function tests’ do not always accurately reflect the synthetic function of the liver. This is best assessed by looking at
- the prothrombin time
- albumin level.
Treatment of Pseudocysts
Treatment is either with
- endoscopic or
- surgical cystogastrostomy or
- aspiration
Treatment of Pancreatic abscess
- Transgastric drainage is one method of treatment,
- endoscopic drainage is an alternative
Drugs causing Acute pancreatitis (8)
- azathioprine
- mesalazine
- steroids
- furosemide
- bendroflumethiazide
- pentamidine
- didanosine
- sodium valproate
*pancreatitis is 7 times more common in patients taking mesalazine than sulfasalazine
7 factors indicating severe pancreatitis include:
- age > 55 years
- hypocalcaemia
- hyperglycaemia
- hypoxia
- neutrophilia
- elevated LDH and AST
Which test may be used to assess exocrine function of pancreas if imaging inconclusive
faecal elastase
Treatment of chronic pancreatitis
- pancreatic enzyme supplements
- analgesia
- antioxidants: limited evidence base - one study suggests benefit in early disease
Treatment of Alcoholic ketoacidosis
The most appropriate treatment is aninfusion of saline & thiamine.
Thiamine is required to avoid Wernicke encephalopathy or Korsakoff psychosis.
management notes for alcoholic hepatitis:
- glucocorticoids( prednisolone) are often used during acute episodes of alcoholic hepatitis
- pentoxyphylline is also sometimes used
Maddrey’s discriminant function (DF)is often used during acute episodes to determine who would benefit from glucocorticoid therapy
Maddrey’s discriminant function (DF)is often used during acute episodes to determine who would benefit from
glucocorticoid therapy in alcoholic hepatitis
SAAG <11g/L
- Hypoalbuminaemia
- nephrotic syndrome
- severe malnutrition (e.g. Kwashiorkor)
- Malignancy
- peritoneal carcinomatosis
- Infections
- tuberculous peritonitis
- Other causes
- pancreatitis
- bowel obstruction
- biliary ascites
- postoperative lymphatic leak
- serositis in connective tissue diseases
SAAG > 11g/L
(indicates portal hypertension)
- Liver disorders are the most common cause
- cirrhosis/alcoholic liver disease
- acute liver failure
- liver metastases
- Cardiac
1. right heart failure
2. constrictive pericarditis - Other causes
1. Budd-Chiari syndrome
2. portal vein thrombosis
3. veno-occlusive disease
4. myxoedema
Management of ascites
- reducing dietary sodium
- fluid restriction is sometimes recommended if the sodium is < 125 mmol/L
- Aldactone & lasix
- drainage if tense ascites
- TIPS
- prophylactic antibiotics to reduce the risk of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. ‘ oral ciprofloxacin or norfloxacin for people with cirrhosis and ascites with an ascitic protein of 15 g/litre or less, until the ascites has resolved
hepatic encephalopathy on EEG
triphasic slow waves on EEG
8 Precipitating factors Of Hepatic encephalopathy
infection e.g. spontaneous bacterial peritonitis
GI bleed
post transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt
constipation
drugs: sedatives, diuretics
hypokalaemia
renal failure
increased dietary protein (uncommon)
Diagnosis of SBP
paracentesis:neutrophil count > 250 cells/ul
the most common organism found on ascitic fluid culture is
E. coli
Management of SBP
Iv cefotaxime
a marker of poor prognosis in SBP
Alcoholic liver disease
Antibiotic prophylaxis should be given to patients with ascites if:
- patients who have had an episode of SBP
- patients with fluid protein <15 g/l and either Child-Pugh score of at least 9 or hepatorenal syndrome
TIPSS connects …….to ……
connects the hepatic vein to the portal vein
Screening for hepatocellular cancer
liver ultrasound every 6 months (+/- alpha-feto protein)