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Alcoholic Hepatitis Medical Negligence Claim

Alcoholic hepatitis is inflammation of the liver caused by the drinking of too much alcohol. It usually occurs in alcoholics who drink heavily but can occur in moderate alcohol drinkers. In addition, those who drink alcohol heavily do not always come down with alcoholic hepatitis. The only real cure for alcoholic hepatitis is to stop drinking. Continued drinking only makes the situation worse.

Signs and symptoms of alcoholic hepatitis include weight loss and loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, jaundice (yellow skin), abdominal pain, fluid accumulation on the abdomen (called ascites), fever, fatigue and confusion.

The relationship between heavy drinking and alcoholic hepatitis is not clear. There are toxic chemicals like acetaldehyde that are breakdown products of ethanol. It is felt that there is a relationship between the presence of these toxins and inflammation of the liver in alcoholic hepatitis. Eventually, scar tissue forms within the liver and the individual comes down with liver cirrhosis, which isn't reversible. Alcoholic hepatitis on its own is reversible if you stop drinking.

The risks of alcoholic hepatitis increase with the amount of alcohol you drink and the length of time you drink. If you binge drink, you are less likely to get alcoholic hepatitis than if you drink heavily over a longer period of time. There are genetic factors that can predict who gets alcoholic hepatitis and who does not. If you have hepatitis C, you are more likely to get cirrhosis and alcoholic hepatitis than someone who does not have hepatitis C. If you are malnourished, you are at greater risk of having alcoholic hepatitis.

The main risk factors to getting alcoholic hepatitis include use of alcohol, being female and having genetic mutations that interfere with the metabolism of alcohol.

Complications of having alcoholic hepatitis include having an increased venous pressure in the portal vein, which can lead to esophageal varices-enlarged veins which can bleed under pressure causing a rapid loss of blood and low blood pressure or death. You can also get ascites or fluid buildup in the abdomen from a lack of ability of the liver to let blood get through the hepatic system. You can get an increase in bleeding and bruising because the liver cannot make clotting factors that improve the ability of the blood to clot. Jaundice is common in alcoholic hepatitis. Jaundice affects the skin and the whites of the eyes.

In severe cases, you can get hepatic encephalopathy-confusion, forgetfulness, mood changes and possible coma from a buildup of ammonia in the system. In the worst case, you get liver cirrhosis that leads to failure of the liver. You cannot survive with a scarred liver and would need a liver transplant or you would die.

Diagnosing alcoholic hepatitis depends on a history of heavy drinking and on blood tests showing an inflammation of the liver. Other things in the environment can cause liver inflammation so the history is key to the diagnosis. A history and physical is required to see what's going on with your body. Blood tests check for levels of AST and ALT in the body-signs of inflammation of the liver. An ultrasound of the liver can see if there are other problems with the liver. In confusing cases, the doctor will do a liver biopsy to check for inflammation and fattiness of the liver.

The treatment of alcoholic hepatitis is to first stop drinking alcohol. This is practically the only option when it comes to getting rid of hepatitis due to alcohol. You may need to go to a rehabilitation clinic, especially if you can't stop drinking on your own. You need to undergo a special diet in order to reverse the nutritional problems you picked up when you were drinking. Vitamins may be suggested and your diet will be very healthy. Medications can be given to reduce the inflammation of the liver, including corticosteroids or possibly pentoxifylline. If you have severe disease and have stopped drinking, you may be a candidate for liver transplant. This is controversial because there are more patients needing a transplant than there are transplants available and some people are concerned that a drinker with cirrhosis will just drink again and will ruin the transplanted liver.