Liver + friends Flashcards
Define acute liver failure
Rapid decline in hepatic function
Clinical presentation of acute liver failure
- Jaundice
- Abdominal pain
- Hepatic encephalopathy (confusion,insomnia)
- N+V
- Right upper quadrant tenderness
Diagnosis of acute liver failure
- LFT
- Hyperbilirubinemia
- Raised ALT
- Raised AST
- PT/INR (coagulation test)
- INR>1.5
- U&E
- Hepatitis screen (ABCE)
Treatment of acute liver failure
- ITU support
- Monitor and correct glucose + electrolytes
- Liver transplant
- N-acetylcisteine (paracetamol OD)
- Viral hepatitis - ACICLOVIR
Clinical presentation of chronic liver failure
- Oedema
- Gynaecomastia
- Anorexia
- Clubbing
- Easy bleeding + bruising
Aetiology of acute liver failure
- Paracetamol overdose
- Alcohol
- Viral hepatitis
- Drugs
- Obstruction
Aetiology of chronic liver failure
- Alcohol
- Viral hepatitis
- autoimmune
- Metabolic
Define liver cirrhosis
- Fibrosis and conversion of normal liver architecture
- To structurally abnormal nodules (regen nodules)
- Final stage of any chronic liver disease
- Irreversible
Aetiology of liver cirrhosis
- Alcohol abuse
- Hep B and C
- Fatty liver disease
Clinical presentation of liver cirrhosis
- Palmar erythema
- Dupuytren’s contracture
- Jaundice
- Ascites
- Spider naevi
Diagnosis of liver cirrhosis
- serum albumin and PT (INR/PT = high)
- Platelets
- Thrombocytopenia
- U+E
- Biopsy
Treatment of liver cirrhosis
- LIVER TRANSPLANT
- Ascites = diuretics = SPIRONOLACTONE
- Cerebral oedema = MANNITOL
- Bleeding = VIT K
- Encephalopathy = decrease ammonia = LACTULOSE, ANTIBIOTICS, ENEMA
- Hep B - TENOFOVIR
Define ascites
Fluid in peritoneal cavity
Aetiology of ascites
Cirrhosis
pathophysiology of ascites
- Peritonitis = more leaky
- Raised capillary hydrostatic pressure
- Reduced colloid oncotic pressure
- Peritoneal lymphatic draining
How do you distinguish between transudate and exudate ascites
- Transudate = protein<25g/L
- Exudate = protein>25g/L
Aetiology of transudate ascites
- Portal hypertension
- Low plasma protein
- Heart failure
Aetiology of exudate ascites
- Peritonitis
- Peritoneal malignancy
Clinical presentation of ascites
- Shifting dullness - fluid = buoyancy -> tympanic sound on front where air filled bowel loops are, when patient lying supine but dullness on flanks
- Abdominal disetension
- Resp. distress
Diagnosis of ascites
- Physical examination of abdomen
- Diagnostic aspiration (needle for fluid check in abdomen)
Treatment of ascites
- salt restriction
- Diureitcs = FUROSEMIDE
What is SAAG
- Serum-Ascites Albumin Gradient
- Used to determine cause of ascites
- SAAG = (serum albumin) - (albumin level of ascitic fluid)
Aetiology of portal vein hypertension
- Prehepatic = portal vein thrombosis
- Intrahepatic = schistosomiasis, cirrhosis
- Posthepatic = right side heart failure
Transmission of Hep A
Faecal-oral
Epidemiology of Hep A
- Rare
- Poor ends
Pathophysiology of Hep A
- Acute infection
- Usually cleared by host immune system
Clinical presentation of Hep A
NON SPECIFIC SYMPTOMS
1. Nausea
2. Anorexia
3. Malaise
LIVER SYMPTOMS
1. Jaundice
2. Hepatomegaly
3. Skin rash
Diagnosis of Hep A
LFTs
1. Raised ALT (alanine transaminase)
2. Raised bilirubin
3. Serology
Treatment of Hep A
Vaccine
Transmission of Hep B (HBV)
- Blood products (IVDU)
- Sex (MSM)
- Vertical transmission (across generations)
Pathophysiology of Hep B
- Acute infection infects hepatocyte
- Cellular response usually suffices
- Chronic HBV if HbsAg >6months
Clinical presentation of Hep B
- Acute infection symptoms
- chronic -> cirrhosis symptoms