Liver disease Flashcards
What are 5 causes of high bilirubin?
- haemolysis
- gallstones
- cholangitis
- sickle cell
- alcoholic liver disease
What is in the portal triad?
- Bile duct
- Branch of hepatic artery and portal vein
What happens in first pass metabolism?
- Oxygen from hepatic artery
- Blood gunge from digestive system from portal vein
- Hepatocytes filter
- Clean stuff in central vein
- Waste products go the other way and end up in bile duct
Where does the central vein go?
to heart and IVC
Where does the central vein go?
to heart and IVC
How do you think about high bilirubin causes?
- pre-hepatic
- hepatic disease
- post-hepatic
What are post-hepatic causes of high bilirubbin?
- obstructive jaundice
1. gallstones (painful)
2. pancreatic cancer (painless)
What are pre-hepatic causes of high bilirubin?
- unconjugated bilirubin
- haemolysis
What reaction measures serum bilirubin via fractionation?
Van de Bergh reaction
What does the direct reaction measure?
conjugated bilirubin
What does the indirect reaction measure?
unconjugated bilirubin
How does the Van den bergh reaction work?
addition of methanol causes a complete reaction, which measures total bilirubin (conjugated plus unconjugated)
What sort of jaundice could be normal?
peadiatric jaundice
In paediatric jaundice what type of bilirubin should be high and why?
unconjugated as the cause is usually liver immaturity coupled with fall in haemoglobin early in life
What should you do if the peadiatric jaundice does not setlle?
look for:
- hypothyroidism
- other causes of haemolysis (Coombes test or DAT)
- unconjugated bilirubin will be useful
How do you treat paediatric jaundice?
phototherapy