Complications of cirrhosis

O Portal hypertension is the precipitating factor for the complications of cirrhotic liver disease—ascites, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP), variceal bleeding, and hepatic encephalopathy. Lowering portal pressure can reduce the complications of cirrhosis and decrease morbidity and mortality. 

Ascites is the accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal space and is often one of the first signs of decompensated liver disease. Ascites is the most common complication of cirrhosis and portends a dire prognosis.14... 

Anand BS Drug treatment of the complications of cirrhosis in the older adult. Drugs Aging 2001 18 575-585. 

Garcia-Tsao G Current management of the complications of cirrhosis and portal hypertension Variceal hemorrhage, ascites, and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. Gastroenterology 2001 120 726-748. 

Garcia-Tsao G, Wiest R Gut microflora in the pathogenesis of the complications of cirrhosis. Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol 2004 18 353-372. 

HE is a common complication of cirrhosis and requires clinical vigilance and treatment with dietary restriction, elimination of CNS depressants, and therapy to lower ammonia levels. 

Ascites, the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity, is a common complication of cirrhosis of the liver. 

This patient illustrates a complicated clinical course of oq-antitrypsin deficiency. Our patient had liver disease that presented during infancy and developed into hepatic cirrhosis. He exhibited most of the complications of cirrhosis, including portal hypertension with ascites, hyperammonemia, malnutrition, and variceal hemorrhage. These complications of cirrhosis are not unique to a,-antitrypsin deficiency, but it is important to note the potential severity of the liver disease associated with this condition. 

Wong, F., Blendis, L.M. Ascites and portal-systemic encephalopathy as complications of cirrhosis. Curr. Opin. Gastroenterol. 1993 9 391-396... 

This chapter elucidates the pathophysiology of cirrhosis and the resultant effects on human anatomy and physiology. Treatment strategies for managing the most commonly encountered clinical complications of cirrhosis are discussed. 

The major complications of cirrhosis that require therapeutic intervention include ... 

The propensity of esophageal varices to bleed when a threshold pressure is exceeded is a potentially life-threatening complication of cirrhosis. Mortality after the first variceal bleed ranges from 5% to 50% and is dependent upon the severity of the underlying liver disease. Cirrhotic patients who have experienced their first episode of variceal... 

Hepatic encephalopathy A complication of cirrhosis where that patient s brain function is impaired resulting in difficulty with cognition and attention, eventually leading to stupor and coma. 

Hepatorenal syndrome A complication of cirrhosis where the kidneys develop failure due to alterations in blood flow type 1 is rapidly progressive and type 11 is slow to progress. 

Portal hypertension Elevated portal pressure in the portal vein and tributaries, often a complication of cirrhosis. 

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