Hepatitis and Cirrhosis Flashcards
What is hepatitis?
Inflammation of the liver
What can acute hepatitis lead to?
- Recover
- Chronic hepatitis
- Fulminant hepatitis
What are the typical symptoms of acute hepatitis?
- Malaise
- Jaundice
- RUQ pain
- Pruritis
- Muscle and joint aches
- Fever (if viral)
What are the severe symptoms of acute hepatitis?
- Confusion
- Coagulopathy
- Renal impairment
What do blood tests typically show for acute hepatitis?
- Raised AST and ALT (often<1,000)
- Conjugated hyperbilirubinaemia
- Increased INR
What do blood tests show for severe acute hepatitis?
- Coagulopathy
- Renal impairment
What is chronic hepatits?
Low-grade inflammation of the liver >6 months
What are the symptoms of chronic hepatitis?
- Often none
- Fatigue
- Vague RUQ pain
What tests do you order for chronic hepatitis?
- Screening Alcoholics, HIV +ve, pregnant women, IV drug users - LFTs Abnormal - INR - Albumin - GGT - Bilirubin - US/CT Look for fatty infiltrattion
How do you manage hepatitis?
Treat the causes
What is fulminant hepatitis?
Liver begins to fail very quickly within days or weeks
Defined as developing Encephalopathy within 28 days of jaundice
What is the prognosis for fulminant hepatitis?
Poor prognosis often needs transplantation
What is cirrhosis?
- Fibrosis (scarring) of the liver leading to regenerative nodule formation
- The final state of any chronic liver disease
What are the ‘loss of function’ symptoms of cirrhosis?
- Jaundice
- Coagulopathy and bruising
- Decreased drug metabolism
- Decreased hormone metabolism
- Increased sepsis
What are the ‘portal hypertension’ symptoms of cirrhosis?
- Varices
- Piles
- Encephalopathy
- Renal failure
- Splenomegaly