Yr 2 GI- Alcohol Flashcards
Vomitting large quantities of blood could indicate what?
- Aspirin.
- Benign tumors of the stomach or esophagus.
- Cirrhosis (scarring of the liver)
- Defects in gastrointestinal tract blood vessels.
- Oesphageal cancer
What organ damage can occur in patient with an excessive intake of alcohol?
Liver damage
Cirrhosis
Oesophagus
brain and nervous system, heart, liver and pancreas. Heavy drinking can also increase your blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels, both of which are major risk factors for heart attacks and strokes
How does alcohol cause enlargement and damage to the patient’s liver?
Excess NADH excess alcohol metabolism
Liver fibrosis
Excess NADH to NAD+ ratio promotes fatty liver by inhibiting fatty acid oxidation and stimulating fatty acid synthesis.
In addition, acetaldehyde also promotes production of enzymes involved in fatty acid synthesis and inhibits expression of enzymes implicated in fat oxidation. Alcohol use has also been shown to reduce export of fat from the liver. All these events lead to fat accumulation in hepatic cells
Mrs Davies has oesophageal varices. Why have they developed and what other varices can develop in these patients?
Varices develop in the presence of protal hypertension. Pressure in the lungs
Less blood flow /blocakage in the liver bloof builds in the portal venous system. Causes larger swollen/dilate veins
Capute medusa- in stomach but can get on legs and feet
Anterior abdominal wall rectum can also have varicies
Why did Mrs Davies become confused? (Can you think of a way to counter the confusion?)
Hepatic encephalopathy- Hepatic encephalopathy is defined as a spectrum of neuropsychiatric abnormalities in patients with liver dysfunction, after exclusion of brain disease. Liver cant removed the toxins in the blood so level of toxins damage the brain. Lead to stroke and alcohol abuse
Blood is not being filtered properly. Something to do with ammonia. Decrease ammonia levels-lactulose
Antibiotics inhibits ammonia generating bacteria.
