The following questions relates to the patient within the first 24 hours 1. Outline the causes,

Liver disease resulting from alcohol affects more than two million Americans and is one of the primary causes of illness and death. The liver frees the body of harmful substances, such as alcohol. While the liver breaks down alcohol, it produces toxins that can be even more dangerous than the alcohol consumed (“Beyond Hangovers: Understanding Alcohol's Impact Your Health” 13). “These by-products damage liver cells, promote inflammation, and weaken the body’s natural defenses. Eventually, these problems can disrupt the body’s metabolism and impair the function of other organs” (“Beyond Hangovers: Understanding Alcohol's Impact Your Health” 13). A condition called steatosis is the result of fat build up in the liver and is the

In many of these patients, long-term heavy drinking led to their chronic liver disease and/or liver failure. These patients, and their families, must confront the reality that their disease inevitably will progress to end-stage liver failure and death. At this time, orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is the only definitive treatment option for patients with ESLD, including alcoholic liver disease (ALD) (Anantharaju & Van Thiel, 2003). Patients with ALD must go through an evaluation screening by a transplant center prior to organ transplant consideration. Nationally accepted criteria for ALD patient selection and

Socioeconomic: Married, father of two boys (ages 19 and 17 years old), history of drinking one quart of hard liquor each day for three years prior to diagnosis of cirrhosis

Hepatic encephalopathy is a condition that presents to patient with end-stage liver disease. It relates to wide spectrum of neuropsychiatric abnormalities due to the result of neurotoxins such as ammonia accumulates in the bloodstream. Those with chronic liver disease that progress to cirrhosis is common manifestation of acute/fulminant hepatic failure (Gasbarre & Newland. 2012). Patient with HE ranged from abnormal sleep patterns, irritability, and changes in personality/behaviors, impairment in attentions, coordination, or mental function to neurologic symptoms with flapping tremors and/or coma (Chaney. et.,al. 2015).

In the case study, the patient with alcoholic cirrhosis appears to have a complacent attitude toward abstinence (Butts & Rice, 2012). Even with abstinence, alcoholic cirrhosis has poor prognosis and quality of life, increased risk of infection, and poor long-term outcome after transplantation (Balthasar et al, 2009). It would not be prudent to give such a precious resource to an individual whose abusive habits/ lifestyle brought about their demise with no commitment to sobriety.

Symptoms may range from minor signs of impairment of brain function to clear neurological and / or psychiatric signs up to deep coma. Asterixis has a good orientation value for the diagnosis, although it is not specific to the hepatic origin of encephalopathy. There is usually a hepatic fetor. Convulsive seizures are possible. Encephalopathy may also occur in chronic form, manifested by a permanent psychomotor slowing or evoking a psychiatric

* Other treatments - Cirrhosis of the liver is incurable but, in some cases, treatment can help to reduce the likelihood that the condition will become worse. Options include: treating the underlying cause of liver damage - for example, treating the underlying hepatitis (B or C) virus infection, removal of blood to lower iron levels in haemochromatosis ,making dietary and lifestyle changes - a nutritious low-fat diet. high-protein diet and exercise can help people to avoid malnutrition. Taking certain medications - such as beta-blockers to reduce blood pressure and lower the risk of bleeding, diuretics to remove excess fluid Avoiding certain medications that can make the symptoms worse - such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), opiates or sedatives ,having regular medical check-ups - including scans to check for liver cancer, having regular endoscopic procedures to check whether there are varicose veins within the oesophagus or stomach.

According to the Mayo Clinic Staff, cirrhosis is a late stage of scarring (fibrosis) or damage of the liver. Once the liver is injured it tries to restore itself. Once restored, it forms scar tissue. The more scar tissue formed, the harder it becomes for the liver to function. Cirrhosis is irreversible and there are different causes of cirrhosis, such alcoholic abuse, viral hepatitis or cryptogenic cirrhosis—this occurs when doctors are unable to find the cause of the condition. If diagnosed and treated early, the damage would be limited. In its advanced

The liver disorders discussed were that of a fatty liver and alcoholic liver disease. A fatty liver is a disorder that is characterized by the accumulation of triglycerides within liver cells, causing the liver to enlarge up to three times its normal size. The accumulation of triglycerides in the liver will cause the liver to have a yellow appearance. A fatty liver can be caused several ways, such as obesity, protein energy malnutrition, metabolic disorders, and chronic alcohol consumption. The treatment for a fatty liver depends on the cause for the fatty liver. For example, if a fatty liver is caused by chronic alcohol consumption, then the patient would need to stop consuming alcohol in order to reverse the damage.

Chronic hepatic decompensation is observed in patients with end stage cirrhosis, which is potentially induced by a number of different factors such as alcohol, viruses (hepatitis), autoimmune diseases, genetic disorders and drugs. Decompensated cirrhosis can be identified by its physical manifestations, these consist of jaundice, encephalopathy portal hypertension and intracranial pressure. The nature of the liver failure is used to tailor treatment to fit the needs of the individual, different approaches are taken to different forms of the disease. Non-biological liver support devices, known as artificial liver support (ALS) devices, aim to remove water soluble and albumin-bound toxins that cause problems, due to a lack of or reduced liver function. The most widely used devices are currently devices utilising haemodialysis with albumin dialysis (MARS) or plasma separation and filtration (Prometheus). These devices have been proven to be safe and to reduce clinical symptoms associated with liver disease, for example a reduction in jaundice, reducing portal hypertension, reducing intracranial pressure and improvement of hepatic encephalopathy. Although there are benefits for the person affected, the

I enjoy reading your post. A good way to cure any medical problem is not through medication only but as well as lifestyle changes. In Mr. Vinson situation, he had a history of drinking alcohol and have not eaten or drinking fluid for the last 24 hours. Alcohol and dehydration are considered the risk factors for hepatic encephalopathy. For Mr. Vinson, aside from limit his protein intake he must also limit his alcohol and do not let himself dehydrated.

The number one preventive measure of liver cirrhosis is to stop drinking alcoholic beverages. Abstinence from alcohol may be difficult for many alcoholics to do, but the result is beneficial for them. Ninety percent of the people with liver cirrhosis who stopped drinking alcohol lives another 5 years, and only seventy percent chance of living less than five years if they continue to drink alcohol (Penny, 2013). According to Leaper and Hamlin, “liver cirrhosis affects protein metabolism and the ability of the liver to store glycogen, which is required for energy (2011). Therefore, people who have cirrhosis are advised to eat foods high in protein and carbohydrates to maintain body’s functions. Limiting protein intake can cause malnutrition or

Liver disease is a big national problem. Millions of people have it. One of them is my Aaron, my brother. Aaron got diagnosed with liver disease in May 2016. We first noticed something was wrong when his running times were getting worse and worse. A couple days later he had yellow skin, so we took him to the doctor, and they sent us to a the Children's Hospital in Milwaukee. The doctor told us that he did have cirrhosis in the liver, which is a form of liver disease. Some people say just get a liver transplant, and some say they have to take medication. With the type of liver disease Aaron has. It won't matter if he gets a transplant. The new liver will get diagnosed again, and hde will have to do all the procedures and medication all over

According to the WebMD website under Understanding Cirrhosis – Prevention, it informs the readers of ways to prevent this disease. For instance, it states that if a person decides to go out and drink, the individual must know and not surpass their limits. Also, alcohol tolerance is not the same and can vary within people. It is advisable that people should avoid drinking on a daily basis, but if they do they must limit to only one or two drinks. When consuming alcohol, never mix the substance with drugs because some medications can react with the alcohol and damage the liver. Another way to prevent liver cirrhosis is to avoid consuming uncooked shellfish and to maintain a healthy, balanced diet. Furthermore, to avoid exposure to industrial chemicals which could enter the bloodstream and damage the organ. Lastly, a person should take precautions and avoid any direct contact with a person who has hepatitis, practice safe sex, and to get vaccinated especially when traveling outside the

The prevalence of Cirrhosis around the world is unknown. According to the PMC -US National Institute of Health,“Cirrhosis prevalence was estimated at 0.15% or 400,000 in the USA where it accounted for more than 25,000 deaths and 373,000 hospital discharges in 1998.” (PMS 34) Not only are the