Liver, Gallbladder, and Pancreas Flashcards
Liver
Largest gland in the body and is essential for life although survival is possible with 10-20% function. Plays major role in macronutrient and micronutrient digestion, metabolism, and storage. Metabolizes steroids, detoxifies drugs, alcohol, and ammonia.
Alcoholic Liver Disease
Damage to the liver and it’s function due to alcohol excess and abuse.
End-Stage Alcoholic Liver Disease Characteristics
Malnutrition, portal hypertension with varices, ascites, hyponatremia, hepatic encephalopathy, fat malabsorption, osteopenia, thrombocytopenia with anemia, and glucose alterations.
Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)
Inflammation of the liver caused an accumulation of fat deposits in the liver tissue. Associated with obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance. Causes may include drugs and inborn errors of metabolism. May progress to NASH.
NAFLD Can Lead To…
Fibrosis, cirrhosis, NASH, and hepatocellular carcinoma.
Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)
Accumulation of fibrous tissue in the liver. Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis may develop in these patients.
NASH Medical Treatment
Gradual weight loss, insulin sensitizing drugs like metformin, and treatment of dyslipidemia.
Cholestatic Liver Diseases
Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (PBC)
Sclerosing Cholangitis
Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (PBC)
An immune-mediated chronic cirrhosis of the liver due to obstruction or infection of the small and intermediate-sized intrahepatic bile ducts. 90% of patients are women.
Sclerosing Cholangitis Definition
Fibrosing inflammation of segments of extrahepatic bile ducts that may be an immune disorder.
Sclerosing Cholangitis Characteristics
50-75% of pts also have inflammatory bowel disease.
60-70% of pts are men.
Increased risk of fat soluble vitamin deficiencies due to steatorrhea.
Hepatic osteodystrophy due to vitamin D and Ca malabsorption resulting in secondary hyperparathyroidism and osteomalacia or rickets.
Treated with immunosuppressants.
Hemochromatosis
Inherited disease of iron overload. Stores 20-40 g of iron in the liver compared to 0.3-0.8 g in normal persons. Causes hepatomegaly, esophageal varices, and glucose intolerance. Treated with phlebotomy.
Wilson’s Disease
Autosomal recessive disorder associated with impaired biliary copper excretion. Copper accumulates in the liver, brain, cornea, and kidneys. May present with neurological signs like Kayser-Fleischer rings, low serum ceruloplasmin, and psychiatric symptoms. Always presents before age 40. Treated with copper-chelating agents, zinc supplementation, and a low copper diet.
a1-Antitrypsin Deficiency
Causes cholestasis or cirrhosis and can cause liver and lung cancer. Liver transplant is the only treatment.
Liver Test Panel
Aspartate Transaminase (AST) Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) Total bilirubin Direct bilirubin PT/PTT Ceruloplasmin Total protein Albumin Viral serologies
AST and ALT
High AST (200 u/l) and ALT (300 u/l) are indicative of liver disease in presence of jaundice or non-specific symptoms of acute illness.
ALP
Usually normal in acute and chronic liver disease. High levels are usually indicative of obstruction of biliary drainage.
Bilirubin
Results from the breakdown of hemoglobin in the RBCs and removal from the body by the liver which excretes in the bile.
Rises when the liver is unable to excrete bilirubin or when there is excessive destruction of RBCs.
Ceruloplasmin
Normal value is 25-63 mg/dL. Copper bound to ceruloplasmin constitutes the largest amount of ceruloplasmin in circulation. In Wilson’s disease ceruloplasmin mobilization from the liver is drastically reduced because of low production of ceruloplasmin.
Screening for Liver Disease
Asymptomatic high risk individuals should be screened for chronic hepatitis. ALT is the most cost-effective screening test for metabolic or drug-induced liver injury. AST should also be measured with hx of alcohol abuse (in alcoholic hepatitis AST is > ALT). Individuals at high risk for viral hepatitis should be screened using specific viral serologies in addition to ALT.
Predictors of Liver Disease Prognosis
Prothrombin time: the most important predictor of prognosis; prolonged PTT indicative of poor prognosis.
Albumin: serum albumin <2.5 g/dL indicates high risk of death.
Clinical Manifestations of Cirrhosis
Encephalopathy Esophageal varices Portal hypertension Hepatorenal syndrome Tea-colored urine Clay-colored urine
Esophageal Varcies
Abnormal, enlarged veins in the lower part of the esophagus. Endoscopic tube used to tamponade bleeding vessels. Repeated therapy may cause esophageal strictures and dysphagia. Cannot feed enterally during acute bleeding episodes. May require PN.
Causes of Malnutrition in Liver Disease
Anorexia Early satiety or dysgeusia N&V Maldigestion or malabsorption Restricted diets Altered metabolism
Dysgeusia
Altered taste.
End-Stage Liver Disease and Hepatic Encephalopathy
- Consider major causes of encephalopathy
- Treat underlying cause
- Treat with medications (lactulose and neomycin)
- Ensure adequate diet is consumed
Major Causes of Encephalopathy
GI bleeding Fluid and electrolyte abnormalities Uremia Use of sedatives Hypo- or hyperglycemia Alcohol withdrawal Constipation Acidosis
Lactulose
A nonabsorbable disaccharide used to treat encephalopathy. Acidifies colonic contents and acts as a laxative to excrete ammonia.
Neomycin
Nonabsorbable antibiotic used to treat encephalopathy by decreasing colonic ammonia production.
Hepatic Encephalopathy
A disorder of mental activity, neuromuscular function and consciousness that occurs as a result of either chronic or acute liver failure. This complex neuropsychiatric syndrome is primarily caused by metabolic abnormalities. The syndrome may occur spontaneously or be induced by some precipitating factor and may be reversible by improvement in liver function, correction of precipitating factors, or the administration of therapy. However, HE can eventually lead to coma, and may be fatal especially in acute liver function.
Prevalence of HE
Occurs in 50-70% of pts with chronic hepatic failure.
Caused by protein in only 5%.
95% of persons with cirrhosis tolerate mixed protein diets of up to 1.5 g/kg of protein.
MNT for HE
It the pt is protein sensitive, start with 0.5-0.7 g/kg of protein and increase level to tolerance, up to 1.5 g/kg in protein-calorie malnutrition. Provide adequate calories to prevent catabolism of endogenous protein stores.