Liver Distension Flashcards
What is the normal portal vein pressure?
5mmHg
What are the most common causes of upper GI bleeds?
Peptic ulcer disease
Varices
Esophagitis
Mallory-Weiss tear (oesophageal tear, usually from vomiting due to alcohol)
Other: cancer, angiodysplasia (usually smaller volumes)
What must be done before endoscoping variceal bleeds?
Fluid resus - don’t give too much blood though as it will exacerbate the hypertension
Splanchnic vasoconstrictor to reduce portal pressure - Terlipressin or octreotide
What do platelets reflect in terms of hepatic function?
Portal hypertension
Not synthetic function of the liver
What are the most common causes of cirrhosis?
Alcohol
Hep C
NASH
Hep B
How do you management ascites?
Sodium restriction
Fluid restriction
Diuretics
Therapeutic ascitic tap
What are the 6 F’s of abdominal distension?
Fat
Fluid
Foetus
Faeces
Flatus
Fucking big tumour
What are the 5 criteria for Child-Pugh scoring?
Ascites
Bilirubin
Albumin
INR
Encephalopathy
When do you screen for varices?
Any new diagnosis of cirrhosis in the presence or absence of portal hypertension
What are alternatives to variceal banding?
Endoscopic - Sclerosant or glue
- Tamponade - Senstaken tube
Medical - Splanchnic vasocontrictor - tellipressin
Surgical - Portal-systemic shunt
Radiological - Shunt or occlusion
What medications do you give in the acute setting post variceal bleeds?
Continue terlipressin
Empiric IV antibiotics
Why might you get hyponaturaemia in portal hypertension?
Portal hypertension stimulations increase in blood volume via ADH and renin angiotension system which causes water retention
How do you confirm Hep C diagnosis?
PCR - shows active infection
What is SBP?
Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis
Common complication of cirrhosis due to leaky membrane, poor opsonisation and suboptimal immune response
What can US show in portal hypertension?
Ascites
Nodular liver
Rencanalisation of ligamentum teres with reversal of flow in portal vein
Screen for space occupying lesions
Hepatic vein - ?Budd Chiari