Liver Failure
Liver Failure
Liver failure can result from any type of liver disorder, including viral hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver damage from alcohol or drugs such as acetaminophen Some Trade Names
TYLENOL. A large portion of the liver must be damaged before liver failure occurs.
The liver can no longer adequately process bilirubin (a waste product formed when old red blood cells are broken down) to be excreted. The result is jaundice. The liver has a multitude of functions: it helps digest food, filters and eliminates certain toxic chemicals in the blood, makes essential proteins, and maintains the level of energy-making compounds in the bloodstream. People with advanced liver failure are jaundiced because bilirubin accumulates in the skin, turning it yellow. The whites of the eyes become bright yellow-orange. Jaundice itself is not painful, but the abnormalities can cause quite troubling itching of the skin.
Signs and symptoms of the disease
Symptoms partly depend on the type and the extent of liver disease. In many cases, there may be no symptoms. Signs and symptoms that are common to a number of different types of liver disease include:
jaundice, or yellowing of the skin
darkened urine
nausea
loss of appetite
unusual weight loss or weight gain
vomiting
diarrhea
light-colored stools
Causes
Detoxification – It is a multi-phased process that involves deactivating an offending drug for easy elimination and converting an inactive compound into an active form so that it can circulate through the blood stream and have an affect on the body.
? Alcohol is absorbed from the small intestine, and the blood carries it directly into the liver, where it becomes the preferred energy source.
? In the liver, alcohol converts to toxic chemicals, such as acetaldehyde (AcH), which trigger the production of powerful immune factors called cytokines. These molecules in large amounts can cause inflammation and tissue injury and are proving to be major culprits in the destructive process in the liver. AcH is particularly being researched because it plays a role in most actions of alcohol, including damaging effects on the liver that may lead to cirrhosis.
The hepatitis virus can produce inflammation in liver cells, resulting in their injury or destruction. If the condition is severe enough, the cell damage becomes progressive, building a layer of scar tissue over the liver. In advanced cases, as with alcoholic
Cirrhosis, the liver shrivels in size, a condition called postnecrotic or posthepatic cirrhosis.
Treatments for liver failure
Treatment depends on the cause and on the specific symptoms. The urgency of treatment depends on whether liver failure is acute or chronic, but the principles of treatment are the same. The person is usually placed on a restricted diet.
Medications
The type of medications given depends on the cause and extent of the liver damage. The liver is one of the main organs that break down medications. If the liver is not functioning correctly, medications often need to be given at lower doses since they remain in the body for a longer period of time.
Treatment for liver disease will include:
* Bed rest
* Drinking extra fluids to prevent dehydration
* Avoiding unnecessary medications
* Avoiding alcohol
* Aating a well balanced diet for liver disease
* Taking antinausea medications as needed
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