Liver Flashcards
What are the functions of the liver?
- Clotting factor production
- Glycogen storage
- Protein synthesis
- Detoxification
- Bile production
- Glucose and fat metoblism
- Defense against infection- reticuloendothelial system
What clotting factors are produced by the liver?
10, 9, 7, 2
What causes acute liver injury?
- Alcohol
- Viral
- Drugs
- Obstruction
- Congestion
What causes chronic liver injury?
- NAFLD
- Chronic alcoholism
- Viral Hepatits
- Iron overload
- Wilson’s disease
- Carcinoma
- Autoimmune
How would acute liver injury present?
- Malaise, nausea, anorexia, jaundice
- Rarer= Confusion, bleeding, liver pain, hypoglycaemia
How would chronic liver injury present?
- Ascites, oedema, haematemesis, malaise, anorexia, wasting, easy bruising, itching, hepatomegaly, abnormal LFT
- Rarer= Jaundice, confusion
What are common LFTs?
- Serum bilirubin
- Albumin
- Prothrombin time
- Serum liver enzymes
What causes unconjugated jaundice?
- Pre hepatic= Gilberts, haemolysis
What causes conjugated jaundice?
- Hepatic= Liver disease
- Post hepatic= Obstruction
How will pre-hepatic jaundice present?
Normal urine
Normal stool
No itching
Normal LFTs
How will cholestatic (hepatic or post hepatic) jaundice present?
Dark urine
Pale stool
May have itching
Abnormal LFTs
What investigations would be done in a patient who is jaundiced?
- V high AST/ALT ratio suggests liver disease
- Biliary obstruction: 90% have dilated intrahepatic bile ducts on ultrasound
- Further imaging: CT, MRI, ERCP
How common are gallstones?
Very common
1/3 of women over 60
What are risk factors for gallstones?
Female, fat, fertile
What are gallstones generally made of?
70% Cholesterol
30% Pigment +/- calcium
Where do gallstones most commonly form?
Within the gallbladder
How would a symptomatic gallbladder gallstone present?
- “Biliary” pain
- Cholecystitis
- Maybe obstructive jaundice (Mirizzi)
How would a symptomatic bile duct gallstone present?
- “Biliar” pain
- No cholecystitis
- Obstructive jaundice
- Cholangitis
- Pancreatitis
How are gallbladder stones treated?
- Laproscopic cholecystectomy
- Bile acid dissolution therapy
How are bile duct stones treated?
- ERCP with sphincterotomy and removal or crushing
- Surgery if large stone
What is a normal ALT?
Under 40
What is a normal AST?
Under 33
What drugs commonly cause DILI?
- Antibiotics (augmentin, flucloxacillin, erythromycin etc)
- CNS drugs
- Immunosuppressants
- Analgesics
- GI drugs (PPIs)
What is a normal prothrombin time?
Less than 10 seconds
What is the toxic metabolite of paracetamol?
NAPQI
What is the antedote to paracetamol overdose?
N-Acetylcisteine
What is the maximum recommended weekly alcohol intake?
14 Units
What can cause ascites?
Chronic liver disease
Neoplasia
Pancreatitis, cardiac causes
What are varices?
Extra blood vessels that form between the portal and systemic circulations to divert blood away from the damaged liver and portal hypertension
How are ascites managed?
- Fluid and salt restriction
- Diuretics
- Large-volume paracentesis+ albumin
- Trans jugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt
What will AFLD progress into?
- Either alcoholic hepatitis
- Or Cirrhosis
- Acute decompensation
What is steatosis?
When the liver cells become swollen with fat
What causes portal hypertension?
- Cirrhosis
- Fibrosis
- Portal vein thrombosis
What is delirium tremens?
Rapid onset delirium triggered by alcohol withdrawal
Why are liver patients vulnerable to infection?
- Impaired reticulo endothelial function
- Reduced opsonic activity
- Leucocyte function
- Permeable gut wall
What is spontaneous bacterial peritonitis?
The commonest serious infection in cirrhosis. Gives vague symptoms
How can liver disease lead to renal failure?
Vasodilated state in liver disease which results in hypoperfusion of kidneys
What are some possible causes of coma in patients with chronic liver disease?
- Hepatic encephalopathy
- Hyponatraemia
- Hypoglycaemia
- Intracranial event
How is hepatic encephalopathy treated?
Lactulose
How is chronic liver disease investigated?
- Viral serology
- Immunology
- Biochemistry
- Ultrasound
- CT or MRI
What are the types of hepatitis?
- Viral
- Alcoholic
- Autoimmune