Liver Conditions Flashcards
What do LFTs show?
- Serum bilirubin - if low indicates liver damage
- Serum albumin - if low indicates liver damage
- Prothrombin time (INR) - increased because less clotting factors
What liver hepatic enzymes are tested for and what do they show?
- Aminotransferases - leak into blood when hepatocytes are damaged
- ALP (Alkaline phosphate) - raised in intra/extra hepatic cholestatic disease of any cause
Liver Failure - Definition
- Liver looses its ability to repair and regenerate leading to decompensation
- Acute - occurs for <22 weeks
- Chronic - when it is a progression of cirrhosis
Liver Failure - Causes (6)
- Infection (viral hepatitis)
- Metabolic (Wilsons)
- Autoimmune (primary biliary cirrhosis)
- Neoplastic (hepatocellular carcinoma)
- Vascular (ischaemia)
- Toxins (paracetamol, alcohol) - most common in UK
Liver Failure - Symptoms (7)
- Nausea
- Anorexia
- Jaundice
- Myalgia
- Coagulopathy (INR increased)
- Altered mood
- Sweet breath/urine
Liver Failure - Investigations (3)
- Bloods - increased prothrombin time, increased AST and ALT
- Toxicology screen - alcohol, overdose
- Peritoneal tap with microscopy and culture if ascites present
Liver Failure - Treatment (5)
- No cure
- Fluids
- Analgesia
- Treat complications
- Transplant
Gallstones - Pathology
- Gallstones made of super concentrated bile blocking of bile duct
- Bile is made of cholesterol, pigments and phospholipids
- Cholesterol stone - from excess production (obesity, fatty diets)
- Pigment - haemolytic anaemia
- Mixed - made of cholesterol and pigment
Gallstones - Symptoms (2)
- On and off right upper quadrant pain
- Worse after eating large fatty meals (triggers gallbladder contraction)
Gallstones - Risk Factors
5Fs: Fat, Fertile, Forty, Female, Family history
Gallstones - Investigations (4)
- Ultrasound - stones, gallbladder thickness, duct dilation
- FBC - rule out inflammation
- LFTs - Raised ALP
- Amylase - rule out pancreatitis
Gallstones - Differential Diagnosis (6)
- Cholecystitis
- Cholangitis
- IBD
- Pancreatitis
- GORD
- Peptic Ulcers
Gallstones - Treatment (3)
- NSAIDS
- Analgesia
- Cholecystectomy (prevents recurring)
Cholecystitis - Pathology
Gall stone blocks ducts → bile builds up → gallbladder distention (swelling) → reduced vascular supply → inflammation
Cholecystitis - Symptoms (2)
- Severe right upper quadrant pain
- Fever or fatigue (inflammation)
Cholecystitis - Investigations (3)
- Positive Murphy’s Sign - severe pain on deep inhalation when hand pressed over RUQ
- Bloods - inflammatory markers
- Ultrasound - thick gallstone walls from inflammation
Cholecystitis - Treatment (4)
- IV antibiotics
- Analgesia
- IV fluids
- Cholecystectomy
Cholangitis - Pathology
Prolonged bile duct blockage → bacteria climb up from the GI tract → biliary tree infection and consolidation → bile can’t enter GI tract → jaundice
Progression from cholecyctitis
5-10% mortality
Cholangitis - Symptoms (4)
- Severe RUQ pain
- Fever
- Jaundice
- May have sepsis or pancreatitis
Cholangitis - Investigations (3)
- Bloods - leukocytosis, raised ALP, bilirubin, CRP
- Blood cultures - identify pathogen
- Ultrasound
Cholangitis - Treatment (3)
- Treat sepsis
- ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) to clear blockage
- Cholecystectomy
Acute Pancreatitis - Pathology
- Inflammation of the pancreas → leakage of enzymes → autodigestion
- Pancreas can heal
Acute Pancreatitis - Causes (mneumonic)
I GET SMASHED
- Idiopathic
- Gallstones (common)
- Ethanol (common)
- Trauma
- Steroids
- Mumps
- Autoimmune (in japanese)
- Scorpion venom
- Hyperlipidaemia
- ERCP
- Drugs (NSAIDs, corticosteroids, ACEi)
Acute Pancreatitis - Symptoms (7)
- Severe epigastric pain radiating to the back, better when leaning forward
- Anorexia
- Fever
- Jaundice
- Grey Turner’s sign (grey abdomen skin)
- Tachycardia
- N&V
Acute Pancreatitis - Investigations (3)
- Serum amylase and lipase - raised
- CRP - infection
- Ultrasound/CT/MRI - exclude gastroduodenal rupture
Acute Pancreatitis - Scoring
- APACHE 2
- Glasgow and Ranson
Acute Pancreatitis - Treatment (4)
- Nil by mouth (drop pancreatic stimulation)
- Analgesics
- Prophylactic antibiotics
- Treat cause (gallstones)
Chronic Pancreatitis - Pathology
- Mostly caused by chronic alcohol abuse but sometimes hereditary, autoimmune or CKD
- Obstruction of bicarbonate secretion in pancreatic lumen → early activation of trypsinogen and autodigestion
Chronic Pancreatitis - Symptoms (4)
- Epigastric pain radiating to back
- Worse after alcohol, better when leaning forward
- Usually older patients than acute
- N&V, DM anorexia, weight loss
Chronic Pancreatitis - Investigations (2)
- Serum amylase and lipase - raised
- Ultrasound/CT/MRI
Chronic Pancreatitis - Treatment (4)
- Stop drinking
- Pancreatic enzyme supplements
- Insulin for DM
- Duct drainage
Alcoholic Liver Disease - Pathology
- Starts with fatty liver - can be reversed by stopping drinking
- Then alcoholic hepatitis - infiltration of polymorphonucleocytes and hepatic necrosis (irreversible)
- Continued drinking leads to cirrhosis - irreversible
Alcoholic Liver Disease - Symptoms
Vague abdominal signs (nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea)
Alcoholic Liver Disease - Investigations (3)
- GGT - very raised
- AST and ALT - mildly raised
- FBC - macrocytic anaemia
Alcoholic Liver Disease - Complication
- Wernicke-Korsakoff encephalopathy - thiamine deficiency causing hyperthalamic changes and soluble atrophy
- Presents with ataxia (wide based gait), confusion, nystagmus (rapid eye movement), memory impairment
- Treat with IV thiamine
Alcohol Units (calculation and recommendation)
- Calculation - strength (ABV) x volume (ml) / 1000 = units
- No more than 14 units a week
Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - Epidemiology
Effects roughly 25% of population
Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - Risk Factors (3)
- Obesity 70%
- Diabetes 35-75%
- Hyperlipidaemia 20-80%