Jaundice

Question 1

Give 2 broad causes of pre-hepatic jaundice.

Give one physiological cause

Answer 1

Hbpathies

• Thalassaemias
• Spherocytosis
• Sickle cell

Damage to RBCs (haemolysis)

• Malaria
• Rhesus Disease

Newborn physiological jaundice due to immature liver

Question 2

Why are pale stools indicative of post-hepatic jaundice?

Answer 2

Stools get their colour from bile pigments

Question 3

How can you use ALT and AST levels to distinguish between chronic and acute conditions?

Answer 3

ALT> AST - acute

AST> ALT - Chronic (cirrhosis, alcoholic hepatitis)