Gastrointestinal (GEER) Flashcards
What are the 4 common causes of liver cirrhosis?
Alcohol-related liver disease
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis C
What Autoantibodies relevant to liver disease.
(Name 4)
1.Antinuclear antibodies (ANA)
2.Smooth muscle antibodies (SMA)
3.Antimitochondrial antibodies (AMA)
4.Antibodies to liver kidney microsome type-1 (LKM-1)
A patient is struggling with Alcohol Withdrawal. What should be prescribed?
Benzodiazepine (based on symptom score)
+Prophylaxis:
IM Pabrinex (High dose B vitamins)
What vitamin deficiency is common among Alcoholics?
Vitamin B1 deficiency (Thiamine)
What 2 disorders are due to Thiamine deficiency?
Wernicke’s encephalopathy and Korsakoff syndrome.
What are the features of Wernicke’s Encephalopathy?
-Confusion
-Oculomotor
-Ataxia
What are the features of Korsakoff syndrome?
-Memory impairment
-Behavioural changes
What is the prognosis for Wernicke’s Encephalopathy?
Medical emergency with a high mortality rate.
What is the medical emergency for Korsakoff Syndrome?
Often Irreversible and means patients will require full time institutional care.
What is the management for Alcohol Related Liver Disease?
Clinical:
-Thiamine vitamins
-Corticosteroids for severe Hepatitis
What is the pathophysiology of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease?
Excessive fat (Triglycerides in the liver cells interfering with the functioning of the liver cells.
How prevalent is Non-Alcoholic Fatty liver disease?
25% of Adults have it
What can Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) progress to?
Hepatitis (inflammation of the liver)
Liver Cirrhosis
What are the risk factors for Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)?
(Name 7)
1.Middle age onwards
2.Obesity
3.Poor diet and low activity levels
4.Type 2 diabetes
5.High cholesterol
6.High blood pressure
7.Smoking
A patient presents with fatigue and right upper quadrant pain/dullness. They have Hypertension and are Obese. What investigations would you like to do?
Prime Suspect: Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver disease
-First line: Liver function test (ALT)
-Liver ultrasound (is stenosis or fibrosis present?)
-Enhanced Liver Fibrosis blood test
-Liver Biopsy : Gold standard test for diagnosis
Describe a typical presentation of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver disease?
-Usually Obese with Hypertension
-Fatigue
-Right upper quadrant pain/dullness
A patient with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease has their Liver Profile back. What would you expect?
Raised ALP
What results would you expect from an Enhanced Liver Fibrosis Blood test for a patient with advanced Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease?
10.51 or above = Advanced Fibrosis
Under 10.51 = Unlikely to be advanced fibrosis
What is the management for Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease ?
Lifestyle -stop drinking smoking, weight loss, exercise etc
What Hepatitis is a RNA virus and what is a DNA virus?
RNA: A,C,D,E
DNA: B
What is the mode of transmission for Hepatitis ABCDE?
A: Faecal Oral
B: Blood/Bodily fluids
C:Blood
D:Always with Hep B
E: Faecal Oral
What does a Hepatic picture on a Liver Function Test mean?
High Transaminases (AST and ALT)
-Bilirubin may also be high
What antibodies confirm a Hep A diagnosis?
IgM
What are the key viral markers for Hep B?
-Surface Antigen : HBsAg
-E Antigen: HBeAg
-Core Antibodies : HBcAb
-Surface antibody: HBsAb
-Hep B DNA
A patient’s blood test has come back with HBcAB antibodies. What does this suggest?
Hepatitis B: Implies past or current infection
A patient’s blood test has come back with HBsAg antibodies. What does this suggest?
Hep B: Active Infection
A patient’s blood test has come back with HBeAg antibodies. What does this suggest?
Hep B: Viral replication and therefore HIGH infectivity
A patient’s blood test has come back with HBsAb antibodies. What does this suggest?
Hep B: vaccination or past or current infection
How would you access the viral load of a patient with Hep B?
Hepatitis B virus DNA (HBV DNA) blood test
What is the management for a patient with Hep B?
-Screen for other viral infections
-Referral to Gastroenterology, Hepatology or Infectious Diseases
-Avoid Alcohol
-Reduce transmission
-Antiviral medications to slow progression : Entecavir
Name some Antiviral treatments for treating Chronic Hep B?
-Entecavir
-Tenofovir
-Lamivudine
-Adefovir
-Telbivudine
A patient presents with Abdominal pain, fatigue and flu like virus. Additional clinical observations include Pruritus, Significant Jaundice, Dark Urine and Pale Stools. They have just returned from Africa. What would you most likely advice?
-No management treatments
-Recover can take several weeks to months
-AVOID Acetaminophen and Paracetamol
A patient is diagnosed with Hep C. What is the management?
Direct-Acting Antiviral tablets :
=Ribavirin
A woman is diagnosed with Hep C and is prescribed Ribavirin. What advise is required?
-Can cause Birth defects
-DO NOT GET PREGNANT
-IF PREGNANT, DO NOT HAVE SEX WITH MALE TAKING RIBAVIRIN
What are the 2 main side effects of Ribavirin?
Fatigue and Headaches
What is Type 1 Autoimmune Hepatitis?
Affect women in their late 40s or 50s presents around Menopause. Less acute than type 2.
Rare cause of chronic hepatitis (inflammation in the liver). It appears to occur due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
What is Type 2 Autoimmune Hepatitis?
Affects Children or Young People (mainly girls)
Rare cause of chronic hepatitis (inflammation in the liver). It appears to occur due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
What are the Autoantibodies in type 2 autoimmune hepatitis?
Anti-liver kidney microsomes-1 (anti-LKM1)
Anti-liver cytosol antigen type 1 (anti-LC1)
How to treat autoimmune hepatitis?
Prednisolone (high dose steroids)
Azathioprine (immunosuppressants)
What is the pathophysiology of Haemochromatosis?
Autosomal Recessive causing iron overload.
Describe presentation of Hemochromatosis.
Chronic tiredness
Joint pain
Pigmentation (bronze skin)
Testicular atrophy
Erectile dysfunction
Amenorrhoea (absence of periods in women)
Cognitive symptoms (memory and mood disturbance)
Hepatomegaly
How to diagnose Haemochromatosis?
-Raised Serum Ferritin
-High Transferrin Saturation
-Genetic testing for HFE gene mutations
-Liver Biopsy with Perl’s stain (assess the conc of iron in the liver)
OR MRI to avoid Biospy
A 19 year old patient presents with Liver Cirrhosis with no drinking or smoking history. Additionally, displays a tremor and is depressed. What initial screening test would you like to do?
Serum Caeruloplasmin
-Suggestive of Wilson’s Disease