Hepatic encephalopathy

the portal vein which then carries substrate-rich venous blood to the liver. The blood in the liver will then be drained by the hepatic veins. Portal hypertension is associated with chronic liver diseases and is a result of an increase in blood pressure in the portal vein. There is a pressure gradient between the portal vein and the hepatic vein which is called the hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG). A HVPG of more than 5mm Hg defines portal hypertension, an increase in portal pressure can…

Hepatitis virus C (HCV) is an enveloped positive-strand RNA virus widely distributed in the world, once nearly 200 million people are contaminated with the pathogen. The HCV virus is responsible for developing a chronic infection in the patient, leading to different degrees of liver disease and it is also able to cause systemic syndromes, even causing damages in the central nervous system (CNS). Signals and symptoms include fatigue, tiredness, impaired memory (“brain fog”), and they can even…

supposed to. Accumulation of bilirubin or its conjugates in body tissues produces jaundice, which is characterized by high plasma bilirubin levels and deposition of yellow bilirubin pigments in the skin and other tissues. Jaundice caused during the hepatic phase can arise from abnormalities in the metabolism and/or excretion of bilirubin. This can lead to an increase in both unconjugated and/or conjugated bilirubin levels. •Increased bleeding & bruising: Patients with liver disease have…

decline slowly over a period of months in parallel with decreasing numbers of hepatocytes staining positive for HAV antigen. Viral RNA and HAV antigen indicative of assembled virus capsids persist long after ALT elevations have returned to normal and hepatic inflammation has resolved.” (Lanford, Feng, Chavez, Guerra, Brasky, Zhou, Lemon, 2011) The factors that might contribute to the decrease in infection rates are increases in socio-economic factors and the added benefits of access to better…

BACKGROUND OF LIVER CIRRHOSIS Cirrhosis, also called hepatic fibrosis is a chronic disease that causes cell destruction and scarring of hepatic tissues. Scar tissues form because of long term disease or injury. Cirrhosis impairs the liver’s ability to function normally because scar tissue can not do what healthy liver tissue does. Scar tissue replaces the healthy liver tissue and blocks the normal flow of blood through the liver. Cirrhosis is a potentially life threatening condition because it…

significantly improve quality of life in HCV patients. Good nutrition results in improved compliance with pharmacologic therapy and has also been found to hinder disease progression by preventing the development of HCV complications like Cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy. In the absence of Decompensated cirrhosis or comorbid conditions like Diabetes Mellitus, HCV patients usually do not require special diets. However, it is imperative that they consume a balanced diet, containing an…

HCC is suspected to develop from hepatic stem cells that proliferate after viral injury with local expansion, intrahepatic spread, and distant metastasis. Patients with NASH can progress from fibrosis, to cirrhosis, and finally to HCC. How to Diagnose HCC? In early stages, HCC shows symptoms of the underlying liver disease. These may include abdominal distention, edema, gastrointestinal bleeding, jaundice, encephalopathy (confusion), weight loss, hemorrhagic ascites, or portal…

of normal hepatic architecture and areas of ineffective regeneration” (Skyscape, 2015); with alcohol being its main contributor. Supporting labs of cirrhosis would be ALT 37, AST 43, and Bilirubin 43. Though cirrhosis was the main diagnosis that my patient had, it was questionable of what was possibly affecting her altered mental status and inability to follow…

The deficiency of iron is related to decreased gastric and decreased absorptive capacity of the duodenum. The mechanism for developing osteomalacia is incompletely described, although the duodenum is a major site for calcium absorption (Stenson, 1999). Food items for a patient with Peptic Ulcer Permitted foods-Wheat chapattis, rice, maize, jowar, bajra or ragi, cereal of wheat, rice, oatmeal or maize, rice cooked, pulses and beans, vegetable soups, cooked vegetables, potato, sweet potato, meat,…

hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (table 1) (10), while diagnosis of AFLP, was based on the Swansea criteria (table 2) (3). Along her illness, our patient had exhibited 11 out of 14 items mentioned in Swansea criteria; the vomiting, abdominal pain; encephalopathy; the hyperbilirubinemia; leukocytosis >11x109/L; ascites or bright liver on ultrasound; elevated transaminases; elevated ammonia serum levels; renal impairment; and coagulopathy (PT >14 sec or APTT >34 sec) (table 3).…