Liver Flashcards
(154 cards)
Give a mneumonic for the surgical seive approach
V : vascular
I : infective
T : traumatic
A : autoimmune
M : metabolic
I : inflammatory
N : neoplastic
Give 4 causes of acute liver failure
- Paracetamol overdose
- Alcohol
- Viral hepatitis (usually A or B)
- Acute fatty liver of pregnancy
What are the features of acute liver failure ?
- Jaundice
- Coagulopathy: raised prothrombin time
- Hypoalbuminaemia
- Hepatic encephalopathy
- Renal failure is common (‘hepatorenal syndrome’)
what are the 3 stepwise stages of alcoholic liver disease
- Alcoholic fatty liver (hepatic steatosis)
- Alcoholic hepatitis
- Cirrhosis
what can be seen histologically in alcoholic hepatitis ?
Mallory bodies
Give 7 findings that suggest alcoholic fatty liver disease has progressed to alcoholic hepatitis
- Painful hepatomegaly
- Neutrophic leukocytosis
- Raised AST and ALT with AST/ALT ratio 2:1.
- Raised ALP
- Raised GGT
- Thrombocytopenia
- Hypoglycaemia
What can be used to treat alcoholic hepatitis ?
- Abstinence
- Glucocorticoids (e.g. prednisolone)
What is seen on bloods once chronic alcohol use has caused cirrhosis ?
Raised bilirubin
How do you calculate the units in an alcoholic drink?
multiply the number of millilitres by the ABV and divide by 1,000
Explain the different symptoms of alcohol withdrawwal experienced at different times
- 6-12 hours: tremor, sweating, headache, craving and anxiety
- 12-24 hours: hallucinations
- 24-48 hours: seizures
- 24-72 hours: delirium tremens
What is used to treat alochol withdrawal ?
Chlordiazepoxide
- Orally
- Reducing regime
- Reduced over 5-7 days.
what does excessive alcohol use cause a deficiency of
Thiamine (B1)
what can thiamine deficiency lead to and how is this prevented ?
- Wernicke’s encephalopathy and Korsakoff syndrome.
- IM or IV pabrinex (high dose B vitamins)
what is seen in wernicke’s encephalopathy ?
- Altered mental state (e.g. confusion)
- Nystagmus
- Opthalmoplegia
- Ataxia
what is seen in korsakoffs syndrome ?
- Memory impairment
- Behavioural changes
- Confabulation
what are the stages of non alcoholic fatty liver disease
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
- Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)
- Fibrosis
- Cirrhosis
what are the RF for NAFLD
- Obesity
- T2DM
- Hyperlipidaemia
- HTN
- Smoking
what is found on bloods and examination to first suggest NAFLD
- Examination : hepatomegaly
- Bloods : Raised ALT
Usually asymptomatic
what is used to confirm a fatty liver in NAFLD ?
- Liver USS
- Shows increased echogenicity
what is the first line investigation for assessing fibrosis in somebody with NAFLD?
- Enhanced liver fibrosis (ELF) blood test
- 10.51 or above – advanced fibrosis
- Under 10.51 – unlikely advanced fibrosis (NICE recommend rechecking every 3 years in NAFLD)
What does the ELF measure ?
Three markers (HA, PIIINP and TIMP-1)
Once the ELF has confirm advanced fiborsis what is done to assess cirrhosis ?
- Transient elastography (“FibroScan’)
If symptomatic, how dose viral hepatitis present
- Painful hepatomegaly
- Fatigue
- Flu-like illness
- Pruritus
- N&V
- Muscle joints and aches
- Jaundice
- Dark urine
What are the signs of viral hepatitis ?
- Raised AST & ALT with»_space;»ALT.
- Rise in bilirubin = jaundice
- Atypical lymphocytosis