Week 13 - Liver Flashcards
what is used to assess the scale of symptoms of alcohol wihdrawal?
CIWA score
0-9 for minimal withdrawal
10-19 moderate
>20 severe
what drug treatment should be offered in acute alcohol withdrawal?
consider benzodiazepine or carbamazepine
prophalactic thiamine to prevent wernickes encephalopathy
what is wernickes encephalopathy?
a life-threatening illness caused by thiamine deficiency, which primarily affects the peripheral and central nervous systems
what triad of symptoms is seen in wernickes encephalopathy?
ophthalmoplegia, ataxia and confusion
What is the treatment of wernickes encephalopathy?
parenteral thiamine
when should prophylactic thiamine be given for wernickes encephalopothy?
- if they are malnourished or at risk of malnourishment; or
* if they have decompensated liver disease; or
* if they are in acute withdrawal; or
* before and during a planned medically assisted alcohol withdrawal.
what is the CAGE questionnaire?
screens for excessive drinking and alcoholism
cut down drinking?
have people Annoyed you by critisizing your drinking?
felt Guilty about drinking?
Eye-opener - drink first thing in the morning?
what is AUDIT-C?
3-item alcohol screen that can help identify persons who are hazardous drinkers or have active alcohol use disorders.
how often did you have a drink containnig alcohol in the past year?
how many drinks a day?
how often did you have more than 6 drinks in one go?
what is hepetitis?
inflammation of the liver
leads to large areas of necrosis and liver failure
how does hepatitis occur?
1) Viruses enter the blood stream and spread to the liver.
2) They infect the hepatocytes and multiply.
3) They change the antigen structure on the virus site.
4) The body begins to use self-mediated immune response attempting to damage the hepatocytes.
5) In Hep B and C, they can continue this process over and over for years increasing the risk of cirrhosis
Liver cirrhosis is the result of chronic inflammation and damage to liver cells. The functional liver cells are replaced with scar tissue (fibrosis). Nodules of scar tissue form within the liver.
what are some causes of hepatitis?
- Alcoholic hepatitis
- Non alcoholic fatty liver disease
- Viral hepatitis - most common cause
- Autoimmune hepatitis
Drug induced hepatitis (e.g. paracetamol overdose)
what is the presentation of hepatitis?
Hepatitis may be asymptomatic or could present with non-specific symptoms:
* Abdominal pain
* Fatigue
* Pruritis (itching)
* Muscle and joint aches
* Nausea and vomiting
* > 5 Spider naevi
* Jaundice
Fever (viral hepatitis)
what is seen on LFTs in hepatitis?
raised transaminases (AST/ALT)
refered to as a hepatic picture
Transaminases are liver enzymes that are released into the blood as a result of inflammation of the liver cells. Bilirubin can also rise as a result of inflammation of the liver cells. High bilirubin causes jaundice.
what is the most common hepatitis worldwide?
hep A
rare in UK
how is hepatitis A spread?
faecal oral route
usually contaminated water or food
how does hepatitis present?
N+V
anorexia
jaundice
what can hepatitis A cause and what signs are seen in this?
cholestasis (slowing of bile flow through the biliary system) with dark urine and pale stools and moderate hepatomegaly
what is the management of hepatitis A?
resolves without treatment in around 1-3 months
basic analgesia
what type of virus is hepatitis B?
DNA virus
how is hepatitis B transmitted?
direct contact with blood or bodily fluids
e.g. sex, needles, toothrush, minor cuts
can also be passed from mother to child
what do HBsAG (surface antigens) suggest?
active infection
what do HBeAg (E antigen) suggest?
marker of viral replication and implies high infectivity
what do HBcAb (core antibodies) suggest?
implies past infection
what do HBsAb (surface antibodies) suggest?
implies vaccination or past or current infection
what do HBV DNA show?
hepatitis B virus DNA
direct count of viral load
what is tested for to confirm response to hep B vaccine?
HBsAb
what is the management for hep B
- Have a low threshold for screening patients that are at risk of hepatitis B.
- Screen for other blood born viruses (hepatitis A and B and HIV) and other sexually transmitted diseases
- Refer to gastroenterology, hepatology or infectious diseases for specialist management
- Notify Public Health (it is a notifiable disease)
- Stop smoking and alcohol
- Education about reducing transmission and informing potential at risk contacts
- Testing for complications: FibroScan for cirrhosis and ultrasound for hepatocellular carcinoma
- Antiviral medication can be used to slow the progression of the disease and reduce infectivity
Liver transplantation for end-stage liver disease
what is shown on a hepatitis screen for vaccinated people?
HBsAb positive
HBsAg and HBcAb negative
what is shown on a hepatitis screen for people who have previously been infected?
HBsAb and HBcAb positive
HBsAG negative
what is shown on a hepatitis screen for someone with an acute infection?
HBsAg positive
HBcAb IgM positive
HBsAb negative
what is shown on a hepatitis screen for someone with a chronic infection?
HBsAg positive
HBcAb IgG positive
HBsAb negative
how do you distinguish between an acute and chronic hep b infection of a hep screen?
acute = IgM HBcAb
chronic = IgG HBcAb
what type of virus is hepatitis C?
RNA virus
how is hepatitis C spread?
blood and bodily fluid
what are some complications of hepatitis C?
liver cirrhosis
hepatocellular carcinoma
what is the management of hepatitis C?
- Have a low threshold for screening patients that are at risk of hepatitis C
- Screen for other blood born viruses (hepatitis A and B and HIV) and other sexually transmitted diseases
- Refer to gastroenterology, hepatology or infectious diseases for specialist management
- Notify Public Health (it is a notifiable disease)
- Stop smoking and alcohol
- Education about reducing transmission and informing potential at risk contacts
- Testing for complications: FibroScan for cirrhosis and ultrasound for hepatocellular carcinoma
- Antiviral treatment with direct acting antivirals (DAAs) is tailored to the specific viral genotype. They successfully cure the infection in over 90% of patients. They are typically taken for 8 to 12 weeks
Liver transplantation for end-stage liver disease
what type of virus is hepatits D?
RNA virus
what is hepatitis D infection associated with?
hepatitis B infection
It can only survive in patients who also have a hepatitis B infection.
It attaches itself to the HBsAg to survive and cannot survive without this protein
which hepatitis cases need to be notified to public health?
A
D
E
what type of virus is hepatitis E?
RNA virus
how is hepatitis E transmitted?
faecal oral route
injestion of contaminated food or water
what are the 2 types of autoimmune hepatitis and when are they seen?
Type 1 typically affects women in their late forties or fifties. It presents around or after the menopause with fatigue and features of liver disease on examination. It takes a less acute course than type 2.
In type 2, patients in their teenage or early twenties present with acute hepatitis with high transaminases and jaundice.
what is seen in LFTs in autoimmune hepatitis?
raised transmaniases
raised IgG levels