Jaundice (My Skin is Looking Yellow) Flashcards
What is the maximum number of units of alcohol NICE advises is safe to consume per week?
14 units
Name the enzyme responsible for converting ethanol into acetaldehyde.
Alcohol dehydrogenase
Why can high levels of alcohol consumption impair liver function?
Acetaldehyde undergoes lipogenesis to form fatty acids and glycerol, which can accumulate in hepatocytes leading to inflammation (hepatitis).
Via what mechanisms can chronic liver disease produce symptoms? (5)
-High oestrogen levels
-Low albumin
-Portal hypertension
-Hepatic encephalopathy
-Sarcopaenia (muscle loss)
What symptoms are indicative of high oestrogen levels and subsequently chronic liver disease? (5)
-Palmar erythema
-Gynaecomastia
-Spider naevi
-Loss of secondary body hair (in males)
-Male genital atrophy
What is leukonychia?
An abnormal whitening of the nail beds in total, partial or striate form; can be caused by many things including low albumin as seen in chronic liver disease.
What three signs are indicative of portal hypertension?
Caput medusae (network of swollen superficial epigastric veins)
Dilated anterior abdominal wall veins
Ascites
What causes asterixis (liver flap)?
Impaired function of the diencephalic motor centres of the brain, seen in certain types of organ failure including liver failure, leading to hepatic encephalopathy.
What symptoms are clinically indicative of obstructive jaundice? (2)
Darkening urine
Itching
What does bilirubin on a urine dipstick tell us about the patient’s blood?
Suggestive of increased conjugated bilirubin in the blood.
What condition may raised ferritin in the context of jaundice indicate?
Haemochromatosis
What is bilirubin?
A breakdown product of haem molecules in red blood cells.
Where does the pre-hepatic phase of red blood cell metabolism mainly take place?
In the spleen
What components is haem broken down into? (2)
Iron and protoporphyrin.
What is protoporphyrin broken down into? (1)
Unconjugated bilirubin (which is not water soluble)
What protein binds to unconjugated bilirubin to transport it to the liver?
Albumin
What enzyme converts unconjugated bilirubin to conjugated bilirubin in the liver?
Uridine glucuronyl transferase
Where is conjugated bilirubin stored?
In the gallbladder, as bile.
What is conjugated bilirubin converted into by microbes in the small intestine?
Urobilinogen
What is urobilinogen ultimately converted into? (2)
Stercobilin (excreted in stools) or urobilin (either sent back to liver or excreted in urine)
What pattern of jaundice does viral hepatitis cause?
Mixed conjugated and unconjugated bilirubin causing jaundice.
What pattern of jaundice do pre-hepatic pathologies cause?
Increased levels of unconjugated bilirubin only.
What pattern of jaundice do hepatic pathologies cause?
Increased levels of mainly unconjugated bilirubin (can also increase conjugated bilirubin if biliary tree affected).
What pattern of jaundice do post-hepatic pathologies cause?
Increased levels of conjugated bilirubin but normal levels of unconjugated bilirubin.