Hepatology

Medical conditions are scary and the conditions are even more devastating when it is your loved one that is given the diagnosis. Several emotions flood the mind at the exact moment the news is disclosed to the family. Recently, a 48 year old, female that was considered to be a beloved mother, wife, and daughter, was diagnosed with a rare medical condition known as Pulmonary Hypertension which affects the pressures in the heart and lungs. The disease had been misdiagnosed over a year before a very special doctor gave the family hope; this is Helen’s journey with a terminal illness. Beginning the spring of 2015, Helen’s symptoms were present. She thought she had a cold due to the weather change. Helen was experiencing a cough, runny nose, shortness of breath, and tiredness; she felt miserable. Her husband, Paul, recalls telling her to go to the doctor because the symptoms persisted longer than the length of a normal cold; however, Helen believed that she would be fine and continued to treat herself with over-the-counter medication and an inhaler that she had at home. After several months of continuous illness, Helen experienced an episode of not being able to breathe. The ambulance had to be called to her home where she received oxygen immediately. She arrived at the hospital within two hours of the call to 911, but that was not soon enough; Helen had to be placed on a ventilator. The fight for her life was on and her family was beside themselves. Distinctly, Paul recalls…

The Seven Best Smoothie Cleanse Recipes for Your Liver What do you think about the words “detox” and “cleanse”? I know it makes some people roll their eyes. “You don’t need to detox,” they say, “your liver does it for you.” Actually, I always nod emphatically and agree! The purpose of a cleanse is to support the liver, the organ that purifies our body. And sure, a lot of detoxing happens without doing a thing. However, your lifestyle choices can directly impact how well your liver does its…

Case Scenario Week 3 Questions 1. What causes hepatic encephalopathy (HE)? Some causes of HE are: increased ammonia levels that are caused by a gastrointestinal (GI) bleed, increased ammonia from bacteria in stool that is caused by constipation, hypokalemia, hypovolemia which is caused by decreased blood flow, which causes a decrease in renal function and impairment of the cerebral. HE is also caused by infection, pain medications, depressants which can cause toxicity of the liver, dehydration,…

Liver Cirrhosis Liver Cirrhosis is considered to be one of the deadliest disease among men and women nationwide. With its leading cause of death and illness mostly in the United States, roughly 5.5 million people, which is 2% of the U.S. population are affected by Cirrhosis. In essence, 26,000 deaths occur each year, but who/what age range does this disease usually affect? What are the causes and symptoms? Can it be cured? Let’s take a look at the facts and statistics! In the human body system,…

This paper seeks to determine whether it is morally sound to exclude alcoholics from the transplant waiting list or if alcoholics should be placed in a lower slot on the list. One side argues that alcoholics should get equal access to new livers and that all should be placed on the waiting list regardless of the reason that they are in need of a new liver. The other side believes in what is known as maximum benefit, or the idea that alcoholics should not be excluded from the list, but should be…

Cholecystitis is an inflammation of gallbladder and associated with the Cholelithiasis (stones in the gallbladder) which is a common disorder of the biliary system of the body. Composed of cholesterol can form gallstone in the gallbladder and gallstones can cause cholecystitis by obstructing the cystic duct resulting in oedema and inflammation of gallbladder (William, & Hopper, 2014). Acute Cholecystitis is the absence of stones this is known as acute or chronic acalculous, it is usually a…

Gallstones are formed when a chemical imbalance in the bile chemical makeup occurs and roughly effects about 10-15% of all Western adults.4 In the human body, the gallbladder produces bile which is made up of components of not only bile salts and phospholipids but also cholesterol. When the liver secretes an excessive amount of cholesterol or an increase consumption of salt and water, build up of cholesterol occurs in the gallbladder forming a gallstone. Often, gallstones are small enough to…

Cirrhosis of the liver can be detected by different tests and studies. They can be both invasive and non-invasive procedures. They range from a physical examination to diagnostic test and clinical findings. Diagnostic examinations include blood tests, serum-protein tests, various chemical tests, and ultrasound imaging among other assortments for detection is disease. Measuring the levels of certain chemicals produced by the liver can show how competently your liver is functiong. Blood tests may…

The primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a condition that affects the liver and destroys the bile duct in the liver. Bile is a fluid that plays an important role of digesting foods and help to get rid of the toxins in the body (MayoClinic, 2014). Sodium concentration requires to be tested in order to identify any abnormal concentration of sodium. In the case study, the patient’s sodium level was 121 mmol/L but her TC value was 322 milligrams per deciliter (Farooqi & Hashim. 2015). The normal range…

The liver is located under the diaphragm in the upper right side of your abdominal cavity. It has many important jobs including digestive processes. It also carries out many metabolic and regulatory functions in the body and is also responsible for producing bile to breakdown fats in the food we eat. The gallbladder is similar to a small storage sac, it helps the liver to store bile. The liver and gallbladder connect by the common bile duct. Many disease states can affect these two closely…