Liver Failure Flashcards
What is liver failure?
Liver failure is when the liver is losing or has lost all of its function. It is a life threatening condition that requires immediate medical care.
What are the 3 most important functions of the liver?
- Producing bile
- Storing glycogen
- Removing toxins from the bloodstream
What is the differences between liver disease and liver failure?
Liver disease refers to any condition that causes damage to the liver and may affect its function.
Liver failure is the term for the liver losing some or all functionality. Liver disease can often result in liver failure.
What is acute liver failure?
, in which symptoms develop rapidly, usually in people with no preexisting liver disease
What is chronic liver failure?
in which symptoms develop gradually as a result of cirrhosis
Liver transplantation is often needed to survive
describe 6 functions of the liver
1)carbohydrate metabolism
2) fat metabolism
3) protein synthesis / catabolism
4) bile synthesis
5) storage (iron, vitamins, glycogen, copper)
6) detoxification (drugs, hormones)
what are some structural features of the liver
hepatocytes
sinusoids
portal tracts (artery, portal vein, bile duct)
central veins
acinar architecture
what are some responses of the liver to injury
- fatty change
- ballooning/ hydropic degen
- hepatocyte necrosis
- cholestasis
5.inflammation - neoplasia
fibrosis & regen - cirrhosis
What is jaundice?
A yellowing of the skin and eyes
caused by high blood bilirubin
What is cholestasis?
A condition where bile cannot flow from the liver to the duodenum
what does cholestasis cause to be elevated in the blood
bilirubin
alkaline phosphatase
what plugs the cannaliculi in cholestasis
bile
what are the 3 types of hepatic cause of jaundice
- Pre-hepatic
- Hepatic
- Post-hepatic
What is pre-hepatic jaundice?
bilirubin is not conjugated and therefore builds up in the blood
can happen if the liver is overwhelmed by bilirubin with increased RBC destruction
what may cause increased RBC destruction?
RBC membrane problem:
genetic- hereditary spherocytosis
acquired - autoimmune haemolytic anaemia
RBC cytoplasm
genetic- G6PDH deficiency
- haemaglobinopathies - sickle, thalassemia
acquired- malaria
what is hepatic jaundice?
- toxic - damage to the liver
- unable to conjugate and excrete bilirubin
causes of hepatic jaundice
- immaturity of liver enzymes
-enzyme defects
-viral hepatitis
-alcoholic hepatitis
what is post hepatic jaundice?
bile is conjugated but there is obstruction to bile flow
Causes of post hepatic jaundice?
congenital - biliary atresia
acquired - bile duct problem
in the lumen - gall stone, tumour (adenoma), worm
in the wall - tumour (cholangiocarcinoma)
outside the wall - tumour (ca head of pancreas)
what happens in acute liver failure
damage to majority of hepatocytes
2 main pathways of acute liver failure?
- acute liver damage
- decompensation (failure) in chronic liver disease