GI Flashcards
What can cause ALTs and ASTs in the 1000s?
- Drugs/toxins
- Auto-immune hepatitis
- Viral hepatitis (A,B,D,E)
- Vascular
- Shock liver
- Budd-Chiari
- Acute stone within 24hrs
- Wilson’s (rarely)
What can cause ALTs and ASTs in the 100s?
- Viral hepatitis (B,C) CMV, EBV
- Alcoholic hepatitis
*
What can cause ALTs ASTs <100
- Autoimmune hepatitis (caeliacs)
- NASH
- HH
- Wilson’s
- A1AT
What are causes of increased ALP (predominantly)
- Extrahepatic
- Stones
- Strictures
- PSC
- Benign obstruction
- IgG4
- AIDS cholangiopathy
- Malignant obstruction
- Intrahepatic
- Rx
- Antibiotics
- TPN
- estrogens
- MTx
- PBC
- Infections
- IHCP
- Infiltrative disease
- Rx
What is the workup for cholestasis?
- U/S, CT, MRCP, EUS (R/O stones)
- ERCP not for diagnosis
- Liver Bx
How is Hepatitis A transmitted?
Fecal-Oral
What is the diagnostic test for hepatitis A?
Anti HAV IgM
How is hepatitis A treated
- Self-limited infection
- Treatment is supportive
- Transplant for fulminant hepatitis
Who should be vaccinated against Hep A?
- Travellers to Hep A endemic countries
- Chronic liver disease
- MSM
- IVDU
- Recurrent plasma-derived clotting factors
- Zoo-keepers
- Vets handling non-human primates
Who should get hep a post-exposure proophylaxis
- Household contacts of hep a infected individuals
- Co-workers and clients of infected food handlers
- Contacts in childcare or junior and senior kindergarten
How are hepatitis B serologies interpreted

What is the natural history of hepatitis B
- <5% progress to chronic HBV
- <1% progress to liver failure
How is acute hepatitis B treated
- Mainly supportive
Which contacts of hepatitis B patients should get vaccinated and get immunoglobulins?
- Household contacts
- Sexual contacts
What factors increase the risk of developing cirrhosis in hepatitis B patients?
- Host factors
- Older age
- male
- immunocompromised
- Co-infection with HIV/HCV/HDV
- EtOH
- Metabolic syndrome
- Disease factors
- High DNA/ALT
- Prolonged time to eAg seroconversion
- eAg negative mutant
- Genotype C
What factors increase the risk of developing HCC in hepatitis B patients?
- Host factors
- Older age
- Male
- immunocompromised
- Family History
- Born in sub-saharan africa
- Co-infection with HIV/HCV/HDV
- EtOH
- Metabolic syndrome
- Aflatoxin ingestion
- Smoking
- Disease factors
- High DNA/ALT
- Prolonged time to eAg seroconversion
- eAg negative mutant
- genotype C
- Cirrhosis
*Not for cirrhosis
What workup should be sent on diagnosis of Hep C?
- CBC
- Cr
- ALT
- HBV DNA
- HBe serology
- Fibroscan or Biopsy
- In high risk groups: HIV+Hep D
What investigations should be done every 6 months in patients with HBV?
- ALT
- HBV DNA
If both persistently elevated, repeat fibroscan
- US for HCC screening if indicated
- NOT AFB
ALL every 6-12 months
Who should get US screening for HCC in the HCV population
- Asian M>40
- Asian F>50
- Africans > 20
- All cirrhotics
- Family Hx HCC (first degree relatives)
- All HIV coo-infected starting at age 40
Who should be treated for chronic HBV?
- Cirrhosis
- Liver transplant workup if decompensated, MELD>15
- Fibrosis > stage 1 with HBV DNA >2000 regardless of HBeAg status (even with normal ALT)
- Extrahepatic manifestations
- HBeAg +, elevated ALT, HBV DNA >20 000
- HBeAg - , elevated ALT, HBV DNA > 2000
-
Pregnancy
- 3rd Trimester + high DNA levels (HBV DNA >200 000) to prevent fetal transmission
- Baby should also get HBIG (and vaccines) after birth
Do not treat:
- Immune tolerant phase or inactive CHB phase (normal ALT)
- Acute infection
What is the goal of chronic HBV treatment?
- Suppress virus
- eAg seroconvert
- Only applies to eAg +
- sAg seroconvert
What will the treatment of chronic HBV accomplish
Prevent cirrhosis and HCC
How is chronic HBV treated (what meds)
- PEG interferon
- Nucleotide analogues
- tenofovir
- entecavir
- lamivudine
How should chronic HBV in the 3rd Trimester of pregnancy be treated
Tenofovir









