MET EOYS5 Flashcards
Explain why a patient with cholestatic problem would have pale stools [1] and dark urine [1]
Pale stools: no bilirubin reaches the gastrointestinal tract
Dark urine: reflux of conjugated bilirubin into blood which is excreted in the urine
Paul is a 47-year-old with a long history of alcohol abuse.
Which of the following LFT results would be most likely?
Very high AST, high ALT, high GGT
Very high AST, high ALT, low GGT
High AST, very high ALT, high GGT
Low AST, high ALT, high GGT
High AST, very high ALT, low GGT
Paul is a 47-year-old with a long history of alcohol abuse.
Which of the following LFT results would be most likely?
Very high AST, high ALT, high GGT
The typical LFT pattern in alcoholic liver disease is high AST and ALT (with AST typically twice as high as ALT).
In the context of acute liver damage, ALT and AST are also raised, however, ALT tends to be significantly higher than AST.
A 43-year-old lady attends A&E at 8pm with right upper quadrant (RUQ) pain, nausea and vomiting. On examination, you note she has a BMI of 33kg/m2, yellowing of the sclera and she states the pain is worse after eating.
Given the likely diagnosis, what pattern would you expect to see on her blood tests?
High unconjugated bilirubin, low conjugated bilirubin, low haemoglobin
Normal unconjugated bilirubin, high conjugated bilirubin, normal haemoglobin
High unconjugated bilirubin, high conjugated bilirubin, normal haemoglobin
Low unconjugated bilirubin, low conjugated bilirubin, low haemoglobin
Normal unconjugated bilirubin, high conjugated bilirubin, low haemoglobin
A 43-year-old lady attends A&E at 8pm with right upper quadrant (RUQ) pain, nausea and vomiting. On examination, you note she has a BMI of 33kg/m2, yellowing of the sclera and she states the pain is worse after eating.
Given the likely diagnosis, what pattern would you expect to see on her blood tests?
High unconjugated bilirubin, low conjugated bilirubin, low haemoglobin
Normal unconjugated bilirubin, high conjugated bilirubin, normal haemoglobin
Gallstones are most common in middle-aged women and are associated with an increased BMI.
They typically cause pain after eating a fatty meal. Large gallstones may become stuck in the common bile duct and block the flow of bile. This can cause post-hepatic jaundice as conjugated bilirubin from the liver is not excreted and the concentration increase in the blood. Unconjugated bilirubin is usually at a normal level as the hepatocytes are not damaged. Low haemoglobin in the context of jaundice is an indicator of a pre-hepatic cause, such as haemolytic anaemia. The most likely pattern of blood results for this patient is, therefore, normal unconjugated bilirubin, high conjugated bilirubin and normal haemoglobin.
Excess aldosterone would lead to
Metabolic acidosis
Metabolic alkalosis
Resp. acidosis
Resp. alkaloisis
Metabolic alkalosis
The physiologic increase in aldosterone secretion contributes to the development of metabolic alkalosis as salt retention by the kidneys is linked to increased bicarbonate reabsorption and acid excretion
The level of the ratio of AST:ALT can be helpful: in diagonsis:
A ratio of AST: ALT >2 suggests which pathology? [1]
A a ratio of AST: ALT <1 suggests which pathology? [1]
A ratio of AST: ALT >2 suggests alcoholic liver disease
A a ratio of AST: ALT <1 suggests non-alcoholic liver disease
Chronic liver diesease would present with which of the following?
AST > ALT
ALT > AST
ALT = AST
Raised ALP
Chronic liver diesease would present with which of the following?
AST > ALT
ALT > AST
ALT = AST
Raised ALP
Metabolic alkalosis is usually accompanied by [hypokalemia / hyperkalemia]
Metabolic alkalosis is usually accompanied by hypokalemia
How does liver disease progress? (is similar for no. of pathologies)
- Primary Injury: liver cells are damaged.
2.This causes inflammation
- This causes liver cell injury / death from primary injury or inflam. response
- Fibrosis occurs if cell death is too advanced / regen capacity is exhausted / process has been to extensive: causes pathological scar tissue (fibrosis).
- Eventually fibrotic nodules are formed: this is when we classify as cirrhosis
- A liver can function normally with cirrhosis (& be asymptomatic) but can lead to liver failure or cancer
Symptoms of liver disease?
Systemic [2]
Cholestatic? [2]
None
Systemic:
* Weight loss
* Tiredness
Cholestatic (reduction in bile flow)
* Pruritis (itchy skin; Cholestatic liver disease increases levels of bile salt which accumulate under the skin causing itch)
* Pale stools/dark urine
Complications of underlying disease
Signs of Chronic Liver Disease? [5]
Palmar erythema
Spider naevi
(most specific)
Hair loss
Gynaecomastia (man boobs)
Leuchonychia / Clubbing
Proximal wasting
Scratch marks
Xanthelasma
Indicators of liver status:
Which blood tests would be useful to indicate liver function? [2]
Which blood tests would be useful to indicate stage of liver disease? [2]
Which blood tests would be useful to indicate liver function? [2]
* Albumin
* INR (Prothrombin Time)
Which blood tests would be useful to indicate stage of liver disease? [2]
* Platelet count (as spleen enlarges, can have consumption of platelets)
* ALT/AST
What could be ruled out of causing ALT > 500?
What would ALT of 500-100 indicate is the source?
What would ALT of 1500+ indicate?
ALT:
Alcohol doesn’t put ALT > 500
500 – 1500: autoimmune hepatitis
more than 1500: hepatitis viruses / drugs / ischaemia
How can you treat variceal bleeding [4]
What can you give as primary and secondary prophylaxis for variceal bleeding? [2]
Treatment:
Resuscitation
Terlipressin (inhibits portal hypertension with simultaneous reduction of blood circulation in portal vessels) and Antibiotics
Banding or injection sclerotherapy
TIPSS
Primary + secondary prophylaxis beta blockers
Propranolol / Carvedilol
Banding
How is ammonia produced in health? What happens after this?
NH3 is produced when glutamine converted to glutamate
In health: NH3 is converted to urea & excreted in kidney OR in reverse of reaction, back to glutamine
How can you stop the production of NH3 to treat encephalopathy? [2]
Rifaximin: reduces the production of NH3 in the gut
L-Ornithine L-arginine: stops the conversion of glutamate to glutamine
What is Henderson-Hasselbach equation in the body for pH blood plasma? [1]
