Hepatitis And Liver Dx Flashcards
Sx of liver dx
Nausea
Loss of appetite
Vomiting diarrhea
Malaise
Abdominal pain in upper right quadrant of abdomen
Yellowed skin and whites of eyes (jaundice)
Darkened urine and/or lightened color (white or clay-colored)
What’s hepatitis?
Inflammation of the liver
What are the liver enzymes
Alanine aminotransferase (ALT)
And
Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)
What’s tne usual values of ALT & AST?
ALT: 7-55 units/L
AST: 8-48 units/L
T/F? The higher the values of AST and ALT, the worse the liver dx?
True
Natural pdts that can cause liver damage?
Comfrey, Flavocoxid (Limbrel), a medical food
Kava
What’s the classification of liver dx?
Hepatocellular: high AST and ALT
Cholestatic: high Alk. Phos and Tbili
Mixed: high AST and ALT, and Alk. Phos and Tbili
What’s used to classify severity of liver dx?
Child-Pugh classification system, which has a scoring 0-15
What does class A of Child-Pugh classification imply?
Mild dx (score < 7)
What does class B of Child-Pugh classification imply?
Moderate dx (score 7-9)
What does class C of Child-Pugh classification imply?
Severe dx (score 10-15)
Whats primary tx for drug-induced liver damage?
Stop the drug
Whats alcoholic liver dx?
A term the encompasses the hepatic manifestations of alcohol over-consumption, including fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis and chronic hepatitis with hepatic fibrosis or cirrhosis
What’s the main tx for inpatient alcohol withdrawal?
BZD
What’s the main tx for outpatient alcohol withdrawal?
Anticonvulsants:
Naltrexone (ReVia)
Acamprostate (Campral)
Disulfiram (Antabuse)
What vitamins and trace minerals can help reverse malnutrition?
Vit. A, D, Thiamine (Vit. B1), folate, pyridoxine (Vit. B6) & zinc
What’s thiamine (Vit. B1) used for?
To prevent and treat Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
Whats Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome?
Different conditions that are both due to brain damage caused by lack of Vit. B1 (thiamine)
List main complications of liver dx
Portal HTN
Variceal bleeding
What’s used for primary prevention of portal HTN?
Non-selective BB e.g. Nadolol & Propranolol
Or
Endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL)
What’s the target HR while on BB?
Titrated to max tolerated dose (target HR 55-60 BPM) and continued indefinitely
What’s the brand name of Nadolol (non-selective BB used in primary prevention of portal HTN)?
Corgard
What’s the brand name of Propranolol (non-selective BB used in primary prevention of portal HTN)?
Inderal LA
InnoPran XL
List drugs used in managing acute variceal bleeding
Octreotide (Sandostatin)
Vasopressin (Pitressin)
What’s the brand name of Octreotide (used in acute variceal bleeding)?
Sandostatin
What’s Octreotide (Sandostatin) an analogue of?
Somatostatin
T4 has greater potency and longer duration of action
What’s the brand name of Vasopressin (used in acute variceal bleeding)?
Pitressin
Howz Vasopressin (Putressin) use in practice?
Not 1st line
Used with NTG IV to prevent MI
What’s unique about Octreotide (Sandostatin) SE?
Monitor BG too (In addition to HR, ECG)
Whats hepatic encephalopathy (HE)?
Syndrome of neuropsychiatric abnormalities caused by acute or chronic hepatic insufficiency
What causes the sx of Hepatic Encephalopathy (HE)?
Accumulation of gut-derived nitrogenous substances in the blood e.g. Ammonia, glutamate
Tx of hepatic encephalopathy (HE)?
Identifying and treating precipitating factors
And
Reducing ammonia levels through diet (limiting amt of diet) and drug therapy
How much protein should a pt with HE get daily?
1-1.5 g/kg
What does the acute and chronic therapy of HE consist of?
Nonabsorbable disaccharides (such as lactose) + antibiotics (Rifaximin, neomycin etc)
What’s the first line tx for HE? Followed by?
Lactulose - 1st line (for both acute and chronic prevention therapy)
Followed by Rifaximin
List agents used in HE?
Lactulose (Constulose, Enulose, Generlac)
Neomycin (Neo-Fradin)
Rifaximin (Xifaxan)
Metronidazole (Flagyl ER, Metro)
Which of these HE agents is used off-label?
Metronidazole (Flagyl ER, Metro)
SEs of Lactulose (Constulose, Enulose, Generlac)?
Flatulence
Diarrhea
Dyspepsia
Abdominal discomfort