GI assessment Flashcards
RBCs—anemia
from GI disease could be?
2
- Multifactorial—depends on etiology of liver disease
2. Liver disease due to alcoholism:
Liver disease due to alcoholism?
3
- GI blood loss
- Nutritional deficiency—B12 and folate (macrocystic anemia)
- Alcohol as a direct toxin
WBCs—neutropenia
- Why does this happen?
2.
- Sequestering of WBCs in the spleen because of portal hypertension
- Results in the patient being ?
(Etiology of portal HTN: ?
cirrhosis of the liver)
Platelets—thrombocytopenia
why does this happen?
Sequestering in the spleen secondary to portal hypertension
Liver Function Tests
7
- ALT
- AST
- Alkaline Phosphatase
- GGT
- 5’-Nucleotidase
- Bilirubin
- Ammonia
Applications of LFTs?
4
- Provide a noninvasive method to screen for the presence of liver disease
- Used to measure the efficacy of treatments for liver disease
- Used to monitor progression of liver disease
- Can reflect the severity of liver disease, particularly in patients who have cirrhosis
Assess liver function not destruction or failure? 2
Albumin and PT
Cons of LFTs
3
- Most do not accurately reflect how well the liver is functioning
- Abnormal values CAN be caused by diseases unrelated to the liver
- The tests may be normal in patient’s who have advanced liver disease
Tests that reflect injury to hepatocytes?
(whats normal?)
2
Serum aminotransferases:
1. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT)*
2. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)
(Normal
- ALT and AST is normally located where?
2. When are they released intot he blood stream?
- Enzymes are normally intracellular:
- Released into the blood stream when hepatocytes are injured
- –Damage or destruction of tissues or changes in cell membrane permeability permit leakage
AST is also produced in what type of cells?
7
- cardiac muscle,
- skeletal muslce,
- kidneys
- the brain
- pancreas
- lungs and
- erythrocytes
Extent of ____________ correlates poorly w/ the rise of aminotransferases?
Highest elevations seen in what diseases? 3
liver necrosis
- viral hepatitis,
- ischemic hepatitis,
- toxicity
Rapid decline in aminotransferases usually a sign of ________ but may reflect what?
- recovery
2. massive destruction of viable hepatocytes signaling acute liver failure
- What does alkaline phosphatase refer to?
- Found where?
- Sources? 3
- In bone it is involved in what?
- MAJOR value of elevated serum alkaline phosphatase in diagnosis of liver disease is recognition of what?
- Refers to a group of enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of organic phosphate esters at an alkaline pH
- Found in many areas of the body it’s precise function is not known
- Sources:
- liver,
- bone, &
- sometimes the intestinal tract - In bone the enzyme is involved in calcification
- MAJOR value of elevated serum alkaline phosphatase in diagnosis of liver disease is recognition of cholestatic disease!
5`-nucleotidase:
- Found where? 6
- In the liver where is it located?
- An increase in a non-pregnant patient with an increase in AP suggests the increase in AP is from where?
- Elevations in 5’-nucleotidase are seen in the same types of ________________ associated w/ an increase in AP
HOWEVER sometimes the two are discordant and cannot be totally reliable
- Found in the
- liver,
- intestine,
- brain,
- heart,
- blood vessels, &
- endocrine pancreas - In the liver subcellular location in hepatocytes
- liver
- hepatobiliary disease
Gamma-glutamyl Transpeptidase (GGT):
- PLays an important role in what?
- Elevated serum activity is found in diseases of the what? 3
- Major clinical value is for what?
- In what else do we see this in?
- Plays a role in amino acid transport
- Elevated serum activity is found in diseases of the
- liver,
- biliary tract
- pancreas corresponding to increases in AP - Major clinical value is for conferring organ specificity to an elevated AP level
- Also see early peaks in acute liver toxicity such as after an alcohol binge
- Bilirubin the 80% the product of what?
2. Other 20% of the time?
- Bilirubin is the product of heme metabolism (80%)
2. The other 20% is from other heme proteins
Elevated bilirubin is due to:
4
- Overproduction of bilirubin
- Impaired uptake of bilirubin
- Impaired conjugation or excretion of bilirubin
- Backward leaking from damaged hepatocytes or bile ducts
Conjugated bilirubin:
- Relates only to what kind of disease?
- What can it not differentiate though?
- relates to only hepatobiliary disease
2. It does not differentiate it from obstructive vs. hepatocellular damage
Why does unconjugated bilirubin not get filtered by the kidneys?
adheres tightly to albumin
Increased levels of unconjugated bilirubin levels are caused by what 2? (not caused by?)
- from increased production
- or decreased excretion
usually not from hepatobiliary disease
UA—urobilinogen: is positive when direct bilirubin is what?
excreted via the kidneys