Jaundice Flashcards
1
Q
What causes jaundice?
A
Accumulation of bilirubin in liver due o excessive production or failure to remove it.
2
Q
What is meant my ‘icterus’?
A
Jaundice
3
Q
Describe what happens during normal enterohepatic circulation of bilirubin
A
- RBC broken down releasing bilirubin into blood stream
- Free bilirubin is bound to serum and delivered to the liver
- Hepatocytes uptake bilirubin
- Glucuronidation of bilirubin occurs in ER, products are water soluble and readily excreted in bile
- Gut bacteria deconjugate bilirubin and degrade it to urobilinogens which are excreted in faeces/urine
