Liver Failure
Liver failure is a condition in which the liver loses its ability to function due to injury or disease. The liver is located in the upper right side of the abdomen. It has many important functions, including:
• Removing waste products from the blood.
• Producing proteins that make the blood clot.
• Storing nutrients and helping you digest food. Liver failure can develop quickly, over days or weeks (acute liver failure). It can also develop gradually, over months or years (chronic liver failure).
CAUSES
There are many possible causes of liver failure, including:
• Liver infection (hepatitis).
• Alcohol abuse.
• An overdose of certain medicines. Acetaminophen overdose is a common cause.
• Liver disease.
RISK FACTORS
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If you need help quitting, ask your health care provider.
• Follow instructions from your health care provider about eating and drinking restrictions. This may include:
○ Limiting the amount of animal protein that you eat.
○ Increasing the amount of plant-based protein that you eat. Foods that contain plant-based proteins include whole grains, nuts, and vegetables.
○ Taking vitamin supplements.
○ Limiting the amount of salt that you eat.
• Follow instructions from your health care provider about maintaining your vaccinations, especially vaccinations against hepatitis A and B.
• Exercise regularly, as told by your health care provider.
• Keep all follow-up visits as told by your health care provider. This is important.
SEEK MEDICAL CARE IF:
• You have symptoms that get worse.
• You lose a lot of weight.
• You have a fever or chills.
SEEK IMMEDIATE MEDICAL CARE IF:
• You become confused or very sleepy.
• You cannot take care of yourself or be taken care of at home.
• You are not urinating.
• You have difficulty breathing.
• You vomit blood.
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• Keep all follow-up visits as told by your health care provider. This is important.
Characterized by progressive tissue injury and scarring, cirrhosis is among the leading causes of chronic liver failure in the United States. Recent research conducted by the National Institutes of Health indicated that the prevalence of cirrhosis, especially in clients diagnosed with Hepatitis C, has increased steadily throughout the past decade and will likely continue to increase in the future (Kanwal et al., 2011). Caused by recurrent tissue damage and inflammation, cirrhosis occurs as healthy hepatocytes (liver cells) are replaced by fibrotic and non-functional scar tissue through natural healing processes. Although liver tissue is normally very resilient, sustained injury eventually outpaces restorative capacity and a majority of functional tissue is replaced with collagenous tissue and liver failure occurs. In the United States, cirrhosis is most commonly caused by Hepatitis C, alcoholism, fatty liver disease, and biliary obstruction (Kanwal et al., 2011). Due to the increase in prevalence and the seriousness of the condition, cirrhosis represents a significant healthcare issue. The treatment and care of clients diagnosed with cirrhosis is complex. The following information addresses several of the major aspects of nursing care associated with the treatment of clients diagnosed with cirrhosis. Additionally, current studies regarding the treatment of cirrhosis will be evaluated in an effort to assess their readiness to be incorporated into current evidenced-based nursing practice.
There are some simple blood tests (secondary prevention) such as Hepatitis B Surface Antigen, and (HBSAG), and Hepatitis B Surface Antibody (HBSAB) to find out if you have been infected. There is a safe and effective vaccine such as vaccine interferon alpha, recommended for newborns, infants, and teens, provides immunity for at least five years. In addition to vaccination (primary prevention), there are other simple ways to stop the spread of Hepatitis B. These are a few examples: first avoid direct contact with blood and bodily fluids, wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after any potential exposure to blood. You also need to discard soiled items carefully into bags, avoid sharing items such as razors, nail clippers, toothbrushes, and earrings or body rings. In my opinion the most important prevention is to practice safe sex, and making sure new or sterile...
According to diet.lovetoknow.com, animal sources of protein are eggs, fish, poultry, and meat. This is because they contain all the amino acids that are essential to the body. They are essential because the body cannot produce them on its own. This means that the eggs, salmon, tuna, ham, pork bacon in Mr. Smith's diet is complete. Almonds are a plant source and are considered incomplete because they contain only part of the amino acids the human body needs.(Eating, 2006) There is not another incomplete source of protein in Joe's diet to complement the almonds. However, the necessity does not exist to include a complimentary protein food because Joe ingests two sources of complete protein.
Hepatitis B is a DNA viral infection that causes damage and inflammation to the liver. It was first discovered in 1965 by Dr. Baruch Blumberg. The HBV virus is very contagious and is even thought to be the most serious form of viral hepatitis and the most common viral infection on Earth. “HBV is 100 times more infectious than HIV.” (Green, 2002, pg. 7) The virus can survive for about one week outside the body on a dry surface. According to Green (2002, pg. 7), “One in twenty Americans has been infected with the virus at some point in their lives.” Between the ages of 15-39 is when 75% of new HBV infections occur, according to Green (2002, pg.8).
Cirrhosis is a deterioration of the liver resulting from heavy scarring, causing the liver to not be able to function properly. If cirrhosis becomes severe, a liver transplant may be the only solution (“Beyond Hangovers: Understanding Alcohol's Impact on Your Health” 14). It is difficult to calculate when a person will develop cirrhosis, because an alcoholic could never develop the disease, but someone who drinks socially could. It is also unknown why cirrhosis is more prevalent in women (Freeman).... ...
A vaccine for Hepatitis A has been available in the US since 1996. Commonly children will become immunized between the ages of 12 to 23 months, however an adult can also be vaccinated at any time. Traveling out of the country, using illegal drugs, homosexual men, and anyone who comes in contact with an infected person or animal are recommended to be immunized. The final way hepatitis A can be prevented is with immune globulin.
What is hepatic cirrhosis? According to the medical dictionary hepatic cirrhosis is when scar tissue replaces the liver’s healthy tissue. This disease changes the structure of the liver and blood vessels that nurture it. It reduces the liver’s capability to produce proteins and process hormones, nutrients, medications, and poisons. Cirrhosis is an illness that gets worse over time and possibly can become life threatening. This serious illness is ranked as the ninth leading cause of death in the U.S. It is the third most common cause of death for adults between 45 and 65 years of age. It occurs in more than fifty percent of undernourished chronic alcoholics. Unfortunately it kills about 35,000 people per year. In other country’s such as Africa and Asia death from cirrhosis is usually caused by hepatitis B.
Liver is a vital organ and performs several roles; produce proteins that help the blood to clot and removing body wastes; regulates the supply of substances such as glucose throughout the body (Potter et al., 2012). To be able to perform these functions the liver cells must function normally. Alcohol abuse is usually connected to alcoholic liver disease that permanently damaged the liver due to excessive drinking and continued excessive drinking can shorten lifespan. If liver cirrhosis has not yet occurred, the liver can heal once the patient stop drinking alcohol (ABS, 2010).
On the contrary, plant protein sources, such as beans, lentils and nuts are considered to be incomplete, as they lack one or more of the essential amino acids that your body needs (1).
Liver cancer is abnormal cell growth on or within the liver. Liver cancer is either starts in the liver (called primary liver cancer) or it spreads to the liver (called metastatic liver cancer). Metastatic liver cancer is more common in United States and Western Europe, while primary liver cancer is common in third world nations. Liver cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in the world. In the United States, it affects twice as many men as women; the average diagnosis age for liver cancer is 67.
• Keep all follow-up and prenatal visits as told by your health care provider. This is important.
You've probably heard about how influential protein is to gaining muscle, but it also gives you
Numerous people believe that a vegetarian diet is unhealthy for the reason that one is not consuming enough protein since there is a decrease in the consumption of meat. However, meat is not the only source of protein. Nuts and grains contain great amounts of protein, and by eating these in the place of meat, one not only gets protein, but avoids the harmful carbohydrates and fats that are in animal meats. Consuming supplements can also help gain nutrients if the diet is not providing enough. There are countless amounts of nutritional supplements that one can purchase, including fish oil and omega 3s. These can be fairly cheap if purchased at the right place, and easily give bodies the nutrients they crave to function.
Alcohol in the form of alcoholic beverages has been consumed by humans since pre-historic times, for a variety of hygiene dietary, medicinal, religions and recreational reasons. According to the NIH Senior Health, drinking too much alcohol affects many parts of the body. It can be especially harmful to the liver, the organ that metabolizes (breaks down) alcohol and other harmful substances. People who drink heavily for a long time can develop diseases such as liver inflammation (alcoholic hepatitis) or severe liver scarring (cirrhosis). Alcohol-related liver disease can cause death. According to the statistics in the year 2010 by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and prevention) the number of discharges with chronic liver disease and cirrhosis as the first-listed diagnosis was 101,000 persons, while the number of deaths has been 31,903 persons.