Medical Surgical Nursing

2. Portal hypertension, ascites, and varices, resulting from circulatory changes within

the diseased liver and producing severe GI hemorrhages and marked sodium and

fluid retention

3. 
   

   Nutritional deficiencies, which result from the inability of the damaged liver cells
   to metabolize certain vitamins ;

   
   


4. 
   

   Hepatic encephalopathy or coma, reflecting accumulation of ammonia in the

   
   

serum due to impaired protein metabolism by the diseased liver

I. JAUNDICE

 When the bilirubin concentration in the blood is abnormally elevated, all the

body tissues, including the sclerae and the skin,become yellow-tinged or

greenish-yellow, a condition called jaundice.

 Becomes clinically evident when the serum bilirubin level exceeds 2.5 mg/dL.

 There are several type of jaundice:

• Hemolytic


• Hepatocellular


• obstructive