Hepatology Flashcards
What is the defintion of early jaundice?
<24 hours old
What is significant about early jaundice?
It is always pathological
If a neonate presented with early jaundice, what would be your differential diagnoses?
-
Haemolysis
- ABO incompatibility
- Rhesus disease
- Bruising/cephalhaematoma
- Hereditary spherocytosis
- G6PD deficiency
- Congenital infection/Sepsis
- Metabolic - galactosaemia
If you suspected haemolysis as a cause of early jaundice, what investigations would you do?
- Blood grouping
- G6PD assay
- Blood film
- Examination - bruising/cephalohaematoma
- Coombs test
If you suspected sepsis as a cause of early jaundice, what investigations would you do?
- Blood cultures
- Urine dipstick and culture
- TORCH screen
What is the definition of intermediate jaundice?
24hrs – 2 weeks
If a child presented with jaundice after 1 week, what would your differential diagnoses be?
- Physiological jaundice
- Breast milk jaundice
- Sepsis
- Haemolysis
- Polycythaemia
What is physiological jaundice?
Jaundice caused by:
- Low activity of glucuronosyltransferase -> normally converts unconjugated to conjugated bilirubin
- Shorter life span of fetal red blood cells (80 to 90 days)
- Relatively low conversion of bilirubin to urobilinogen by the intestinal flora
Develops after first day of life
How long can phsyiological jaundice last for?
Up to 1 month
What is breast milk jaundice?
Jaundice caused by taking breast milk - Exact reason for prolongation of jaundice in breastfed infants unclear:
- Inhibition of UDP by progesterone metabolite
- Increased enterohepatic circulation
Unconjugated jaundice
What type of bilirubin would you expect to see in physiological jaundice?
Unconjugated bilirubin
What type of bilirubin would you expect to see in breast milk jaundice?
Unconjugated bilirubin
How long can breast milk jaundice last for?
Up to 12 weeks
What is prolonged jaundice?
>2 weeks
How would you assess prolonged jaundice in a child?
- Split bilirubin
- Stool and urine colour
If a neonate presented with jaundice at 3 weeks, and serum bilirubin showed conjugated bilirubin, what would be your differential?
- Bile duct obstruction - biliary atresia, choledochal cyst
- Neonatal hepatitis syndrome - multiple causes
- Intrahepatic biliary hypoplasia - Alagille syndrome
If a neonate developed jaundice at 3 weeks, and the serum bilirubin was unconjugated, what would you differential diagnosis be?
- Prolonged Breast milk jaundice
- Hypothyroidism
- Infection
- Haemolysis
- High GI obstruction
What is biliary atresia?
Congenital fibro-inflammatory disease of bile ducts leading to destruction of extra-hepatic bile ducts
How does biliary atresia present?
- Faltering growth
- Pale urine
- Dark stools
- Hepato-(+/- spleno-)megaly
What is the risk of not treating biliary atresia?
Liver failure - time to treatment determines prognosis
How would you investigate for biliary atresia?
- Split bilirubin - conjugated bilirubin
- Stool colour
- US - contracted/absent gallbladder
- Liver Biopsy