Acute Pancreatitis Acute pancreatitis is an inflammatory condition of the pancreas characterized clinically by abdominal pain and elevated levels of pancreatic enzymes in the blood.    Two distinct phases of AP have now been identified: early (within 1 week), characterized

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Upper GI Bleeding:  Patients with acute upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding commonly present with hematemesis (vomiting of blood or coffee-ground like material) and/or melena (black, tarry stools). The initial evaluation of patients with acute upper GI bleeding involves an assessment of hemodynamic stability

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Acute Liver Failure: Acute liver failure is characterized by acute liver injury, hepatic encephalopathy, and an elevated PT/INR. It has also been referred to as fulminant hepatic failure, acute hepatic necrosis, fulminant hepatic necrosis, and fulminant hepatitis.   Acute liver

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Jaundice Definition Yellowish discoloration of tissue, also called icterus, resulting from the deposition of bilirubin, which occurs only in the presence of serum hyperbilirubinemia. Jaundice is not usually detected until the serum bilirubin level exceeds 3.0 mg/dL. Although usually a sign

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Hepatic encephalopathy Hepatic encephalopathy or portosystemic encephalopathy is a syndrome of neuropsychiatric dysfunction caused by portosystemic venous shunting, with or without liver disease, but primarly occurring in patients with advanced liver failure.   Pathogenesis:   Ammonia is the primary neurotoxin that

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Liver Function Tests Tests that measure detoxification or excretory functions Serum bilirubin Urine bilirubin Blood ammonia Serum enzymes that reflect damage to hepatocytes Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) Serum enzymes that reflect cholestasis  Alkaline phosphatase (AP) 5′-nucleotidase Gamma glutamyl

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Variceal Bleeding:      Pathogenesis : The most important predictor of hemorrhage is the size of varices. There are two distinct phases in the course of variceal hemorrhage: an acute phase and a later phase in which there is a high risk

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