Jaundice and Chronic Liver Disease: Investigations, Treatment and Management Flashcards
When the Liver stops working what is the main symptoms that occur
Jaundice
Ascities
Variceal Bleeding
Hepatic encephalopathy
What is the cause of jaundice
Excess circulating bilirubin (exceed 34 µmol/L)
What is the overall symptoms of jaundice
Yellowing of the skin, sclerae (white outer layers or the eye ball)
and other tissues
and high yellow coloured urine
What is the three classification of jaundice
Pre-hepatic - Unconjugated bilirubin before the liver
Hepatic - conjugated bilirubin in the liver
Post Hepatic - conjugated bilirubin after the liver
What is the cause of pre hepatic jaundice
Increased quantity of bilirubin - heamolysis
Impaired transport
What is the cause of hepatic jaundice
Defective uptake of bilirubin
Defective conjugation
Defective excretion
What is the cause of post hepatic jaundice
Defective transport of bilirubin by the biliary ducts
What classification of jaundice acholuric jaundice
Prehepatic due to excessive circulation of unconjugated bile and no bile pigments in the blood
What are the specific symptoms of pre hepatic jaundice
History of anaemia:
Dysnopea
Chest pain
Fatigue
Pallor
Splenomegaly
IVDU and drug intake have the highest risk factor for what kind of Jaundice
Hepatic jaundice
What is the symptoms of hepatic jaundice
Ascites - accumulation of fluid in peritoneal cavity
Variceal bleed - dilated blood vessels
encephalopathy
Spider naevi,
Gynaecomastia (moobs)
Asterixis - flapping tremor
What is the symptoms of post hepatic jaundice
Abdominal pain Pruritus pale stools (normal colour if before liver) High coloured urine Palpable gallbladder
What is testes for in Liver screen investigations to check the health of your liver
Hepatitis B & C serology
Autoantibody profile,
serum immunoglobulins
Caeruloplasmin and copper (cooper storage)
Ferritin and transferrin saturation (iron storage)
Alpha 1 anti trypsin
Fasting glucose and lipid profile
What is the different imaging investigation used in the diagnosis of liver disease and jaundice
Ultrasound of abdomen
CT/MRI scan
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)
Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP)
Percutaneous Transhepatic Cholangiogram
Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS)
Why is ultrasound of the abdomen the most important investigation
Differentiates extrahepatic and intrahepatic obstruction
finds the cause and extent of obstruction
Documents evidence of portal hypertension
Preliminary staging of extent of disease e.g. cancer spread
What is Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)
Technique that combines the use of endoscopy and fluoroscopy to diagnose and treat certain problems of the biliary or pancreatic ductal systems.
Offer therapeutic option as well as imaging
What is the disadvantages of ERCP
Radiation
Sedation
Complications (5%)
Failure rate (10%)
Only images ducts
Define MRCP
is a special type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam that produces detailed images of the hepatobiliary and pancreatic systems
What is the advantages and disadvantages to MRCP
Noninvassive procedure
No radiation
No complications
Can image outwith the ducts
clautraphobia - 5%
Only offer diagnosis
What is ERCP used to treat
Dilated biliary tree (due to visible stones or tumour)
Chlodocholithiasis - Acute gallstone pancreatitis
How does ERCP perform therapeutic
Sphincterotomy
(An operation to cut the muscle between the common bile duct and the pancreatic duct. The operation uses a catheter and a wire to remove gallstones or other blockages)
stenting of biliary duct obstruction
stone retrieval basket