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Cirrhosis of the Liver

Liam P. Burke, MD Reviewed 06/2022
 


BASICS

DESCRIPTION

A chronic disease with inflammation, necrosis, fibrosis, hepatocellular dysfunction and vascular remodeling potentially leading to liver failure and/or cancer 

EPIDEMIOLOGY

  • Predominant...

DIAGNOSIS

HISTORY

  • Review risk factors (alcohol abuse, viral hepatitis, family history of primary liver cancer, other liver disease, or autoimmune disease).

  • Symptoms

    • Fatigue, malaise, weakness

    • Anorexia, we...

TREATMENT

Outpatient care except for major GI bleeding, altered mental status, sepsis/infection, rapid hepatic decompensation, or renal failure 

GENERAL MEASURES

  • Abstain from alcohol, drugs, and hepatot...

ONGOING CARE

  • Monitor liver enzymes, sodium, creatinine, platelets, and PT q6–12mo; calculate MELD score

  • Serial α-fetoprotein and liver ultrasound screening q6–12mo in patients with cirrhosis. Patients ...

REFERENCES

1
Vallet-Pichard A, Mallet V, Nalpas B, et al. FIB-4: an inexpensive and accurate marker of fibrosis in HCV infection. comparison with liver biopsy and fibrotest. Hepatology. 2007 Jul;46(1):...

ADDITIONAL READING

  • Chalasani  N, Younossi  Z, Lavine  JE, et al. The diagnosis and management of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: practice guidance from the American Associ...

SEE ALSO

Algorithm: Cirrhosis 

CODES

ICD10

  • K74.60 Unspecified cirrhosis of liver

  • K70.30 Alcoholic cirrhosis of liver without ascites

  • K74.69 Other cirrhosis of liver

  • K76.1 Chronic passive congestion of liver

SNOMED

  • 19943007 Cirrhosis of l...

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • 80% of chronic liver disease that leads to cirrhosis is preventable (primarily alcohol abuse).

  • After diagnosis of cirrhosis, abdominal ultrasound every 6 months for early detection of H...

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