Alcohol and Physical Health

Question 1

What are the major consequences for physical health?

Answer 1

Dementia, depression, cerebral atrophy, 
Peripheral neuropathy
Cirrhosis
Cardiomyopathy
Increased cancer risk

Question 2

What should you prioritise for liver problems in alcohol

Answer 2

ALT
AST- alcohol drinking/ cirrhosis will be higher than ALT
INR I

Question 3

How is fatty liver treated?

Answer 3

Stop drinking alcohol, it is reversible

Question 4

What is a sign of liver cirrhosis

Answer 4

Portal hypertension and splentomegaly

Question 5

How do you diagnose fatty liver?

Answer 5

Ultrasound scan

Sometime MRI

Question 6

What occurs during Fatty liver disease?

Answer 6

Drinking over 60g of alcohol a day
Liver cells replaced by fatty acids and glycerol
Benign and reversible
May lead to alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis

Question 7

What is acute alcohol hepatitis

Answer 7

A killer with no cure
28 day mortality is 1/3
Severe inflammation of the liver

Bilirubin

Question 8

What are varies

Answer 8

Typically secondary to cirrhosis and PHT
Occur in the oesophagus, stomach, abdominal wall and rectum
The size of the veins increase due to increased pressure
Very serious bleed 30% mortality
ongoing alcohol abuse increased instance of bleeding
Treated with endoscope and stent or obliteration

Question 9

What is hepatocellular cancer?

Answer 9

Cancer of the liver
Alcohol causes a third of them
Average survival 6-20 moths
Alpha retro protein can be used to diagnose it
Treatment includes radio frequency ablation
Surgery, transplantation, chemo

Question 10

What is pancreatitis

Answer 10

Damage to the pancreatic acinar cells.
Chronic pancreatitis is a risk factor pancreatic cancer
Chemotherapy is typically palliative

Question 11

What effects does alcohol have on the heart

Answer 11

Dilated cardiomyopathy
High BP
Vascular diseas
Thrombosis
Arrhythmia
Heart failure

Question 12

How does alcohol affect the immune system

Answer 12

Neutrophils chemotaxis is impaired,
Poor response of injury and infection

Cancer risk of GI system is very common but unknown mechanism

Question 13

How does alcohol affect the CNS

Answer 13

Peripheral neuropathy
Cerebral atrophy
Cerebellar degeneration
Wernicke-korakatoff syndrome 
Stroke
Head injury/falls

Question 14

What is delirium tremens

Answer 14

Severe disease resulting from alcohol withdrawl

Question 15

What are the signs of fetal-alcohol syndrome

Answer 15

Small head
Flat face 
CNS Disorders leading to anxiety, aggressive behaviour
Thin upper lip
Small eye folds
Short nose 
Low nasal bridge 
Underdeveloped jaw

Question 16

What are the symptoms of delirium tremens

Answer 16

Tremors
Sweating
Tachycardia 
Anxiety
Delirium
Seizures

Question 17

How is alcohol related to stroke?

Answer 17

Mortality and morbidity
Risk of ischaemic heamorrhage
Risk of falls/head injury
Low platelets/coagulopathy>heamolysis