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Liver Failure
Liver Failure
Basics
Liver failure can complicate almost all forms
of liver diseases. Though the clinical pictures differ, the
overall picture and the treatment remains the same. Liver
failure may follow any of the following.
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Cirrhosis
-
Fatty liver of pregnancy
-
Hepatitis due to drugs
-
Viral hepatitis
Sometimes a clinical sign of liver failure develop in a
previously healthy person. Sometimes the liver failure develops
within 8 weeks from the onset of the first symptom or jaundice.
This rapidly progressing liver failure is called fulminant
liver failure.
Recognizing a sign of liver failure or a
symptom of liver failure
Liver failure can be considered more of a
functional syndrome than an anatomical one. Some of
the signs of liver failure are
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General failure of health like weakness, loss of
appetite, wasting etc.
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Jaundice
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Bluish discoloration of the nails
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Fever
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Fetor hepaticus – It is a sweetish slightly fecal
smell of breath
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Ascites – collection of fluid in the abdominal
cavity
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Changes in the protein metabolism
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Skin changes like spider nevi, redness of the
palms, white nails etc
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Endocrine changes – In the male, the changes are
towards feminization. The changes include small,
soft testes, loss of secondary sexual hair,
enlargement of breast, diminished sexual desire and
potency. In the females, the changes are less and
towards gonadal atrophy
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Defective blood clotting
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Treatment of liver failure
Treatment of liver failure includes two
components – treating the cause of liver failure and prevention
of the development of neurological damage. The second component
is more important. Neurological damage can be prevented by
following the below given treatment.
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Identifying the cause and treating it
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Preventing bleeding in the bowel
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Ensuring at least two bowel movements daily – the
drug lactulose or lactilol may be useful
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Protein free diet
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The drug neomycin 1 gram four times a day by mouth
for one week
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Maintaining adequate caloric intake
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Stopping the use of diuretics
All the above mentioned steps of treatment for
liver failure are only temporary measures.
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