For very severe cases, removing the diseased liver via transplant will help improve quality of life.
For very severe cases, removing the diseased liver via transplant will help improve quality of life.
Room 362, a 48-year old married male, was admitted to Lynchburg General Hospital after showing symptoms of hepatic failure. He had a chief complaint of weakness and drowsiness displayed by the inability to be easily awoken by his wife, which led to his admission into the hospital. He has been diagnosed with hepatic failure demonstrated by laboratory testing and an arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis. Hepatic failure is a condition caused by a sudden or chronic illness, which results in irreversible damage to the liver ultimately inhibiting the liver’s functional abilities. Room 362’s hepatic failure was most likely a result of his alcoholic cirrhosis and hepatitis C. Room 362’s history with alcohol abuse and smoking led to his current state of…
Santi, L., Maggioli, C., Mastroroberto, M., Tufoni, M., Napoli, l., & Caraceni, P. (2012). Acute liver failure caused by…
For patients with a history of alcohol abuse or excess and evidence of liver disease, the CNS should order laboratory tests to exclude other etiologies and confirm the diagnosis of ALD. The CNS should discuss/recommend abstinence in patients with evidence of ALD because continued alcohol use is associated with disease progression. The CNS should be able to calculate a MELD score to ensure that referral to a transplant center is not delayed, as early treatment with abstinence has been shown to improve the outcome and histological features of hepatic injury, to reduce portal pressure and decrease progression to cirrhosis, and to improve survival at all stages in patients with ALD. There are few reliable predictors of relapse in alcoholic patients, whether or not they undergo liver transplantation. As stated throughout this paper, most transplant programs require patients with ALD to demonstrate a long-term commitment to alcohol abstinence prior to consideration for liver transplantation, typically for six months or…
Alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, severe scarring due to the heavy use of alcohol is by far the major cause of end-stage liver disease. Cohen and Martin do not believe that someone that has induced this disease by alcohol abuse is no less deserving of a liver transplant than someone that takes care of their self. They support the moral argument by stating, “If alcoholics…
free universal health care or not. The question of liver transplants for patients with an ongoing…
As nurses are to advocate for their community it is also a responsibility for some to step up in their role and collect data and analyze the case findings within the community. In this regard it is important and in many cases also a requirement for a nurse to obtain a baccalaureate degree in nursing and to then establish partnership and collaboration with public health professionals. It is important for the public health nurse to involve the community and their awareness on public safety, vaccination and prevention of diseases. Some ways a public health nurse can participate is to help clinics control communicable diseases, educate and participate in environmental sanitation, health education including schools as well. To control and manage results, increase or decrease of disease within the community, a nurse could for example collect data by questionnaires. Another way would be to collaborate with laboratories by collecting data and assessing the results Furthermore, nurses should follow up with every patient who might have been infected or could be at risk for infection by doing home calls or call patients back to assess results and contribute further in…
We should avoid exposure to contaminated blood, blood products or contaminated needles.We should get proper vaccination against HBV & HAV.Proper screening of mothers during pregnancy can also save the livers of the child in their womb from getting infected. If you drink alcohol a lot, either slow down significantly or stop it completely.Never take medicines or supplements unless they are approved by your doctor, and never exceed the recommended doses. Also ask your doctor before trying herbal supplements you have not taken before. Certain supplements are capable of damaging your liver. You should also take great care with vitamins because a number of vitamin combinations can be harmful to your…
Doctors had tried many alternative advanced treatments to cure the advanced cirrhosis yet Liam still needed a liver transplant, which shows he was either still a heavy alcoholic and had made no change to his lifestyle or his health was still deteriorating where he was in such a bad condition. It is important when an organ transplant is being considered that the decision must be based on whether the patient is likely to recover well and where Liam had been drinking from an early age it was less likely, and whether there is another person who needs a transplant more and is fitter. Alcohol addictions are self-inflicted illnesses and although it is still a serious illness it is through their own fault and people with other illnesses should take priority although when Liam first began the road to alcoholism he probably did not fully understand…
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia is a condition characterized by an accumulation of abnormal lymphocytes (a type of white blood cells), in the blood and bone marrow. Hepatitis C is another type of cancer that will be affecting primarily the liver. There is not a cure for either of these diseases but the chances of survival have improved greatly over the years. Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) and Hepatitis C (HCV) are both forms of cancer so you cannot treat one without worsening the damage of the other.…
Liver disease encompasses numerous disorders which disrupt the normal functions of the liver. Normal liver functions include: breaking down harmful substances, removing waste products from the blood, storing nutrients and vitamins, and moderating chemical levels in the body. Types of liver disease include: viral hepatitis, autoimmune diseases (primary biliary cirrhosis), genetic diseases (hemochromatosis), alcoholic hepatitis, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (Mayo Clinic, 2003). Two prevalent forms of cancer exist as well; liver cancer and bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma). When we think of liver disease the main topics that come to our minds are non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and hepatitis.…
References: Coleman, P. (1996). “Brother Can You Spare a Liver?” Five Ways to Increase Organ…
Researchers have continued to develop and to test new therapies for various types of organ dysfunction. Though this is true, transplantation is still preferred by scientists. It is the most effective form of treatment for many illnesses. (Transplant Village,. 2013)…
Hepatitis is a multifaceted disease with the intention of primarily affecting the liver. The liver is a major body organ that must function properly in order for the entire body to work. If the liver shuts down, the body can only live a couple of days. The liver is a storage place for iron, vitamins, and sugar that the body needs for energy. The liver also helps cleanse the body of waste products, poisons, and drugs that could potentially harm the body. When Hepatitis attacks the liver it affects the liver’s abilities to store iron, vitamins, and sugar. Hepatitis also disrupts the process of cleansing the body of waste products, poisons, and drugs. Knowing the meaning, the symptoms, different types, treatment options, and prevention measures of Hepatitis will…
15–25% of adults who become chronically infected during childhood die from hepatitis B-related liver cancer or…
progressing disorder. In its more advanced stages it can lead to serious and permanent liver…