Diagnosis and treatment of hepatic brain syndrome

Hepatic brain syndrome is a condition where impaired liver function cannot remove toxins from the bloodstream leading to impaired brain function. The disease may progress well if detected and treated early.

1. What is hepatic brain syndrome?

Hepatic brain syndrome is the accumulation of toxins in the blood that causes impaired brain function. The cause of this condition is when the liver is not able to remove enough toxins from the blood. Damaged liver function is less likely to eliminate these toxins that cause them to accumulate in the bloodstream and go to other muscles.

Hepatic brain syndrome develops when toxins enter the brain and damage brain cells that cause physical and psychological symptoms. People with hepatic brain syndrome often suffer from disorders of consciousness, behavior and coma caused by liver dysfunction.

2. symptom

The person will experience various severe, mild symptoms, which depends on the cause of liver damage and the degree.

Mild symptoms, patients may experience such as:

  • Difficult limbs movement
  • Forgetfulness, confusion

Dementia, oblivion, forgetfulness

People with hepatic brain syndrome often present with confusion, forgetfulness
  • Sluggish, hard to focus on
  • Smelly breath
  • Personality changes

Severe symptoms such as:

  • Lethargic, slow-moving people
  • Difficulty in pronunciation
  • Restlessness, anxiety
  • The mind is no longer clear, the memory is poor
  • Convulsions

Hepatic brain syndrome is divided into 3 types, based on the causes of the disease:

  • Type A: Type A hepatic brain syndrome occurs only in a person who does not have liver disease before experiencing a rapid deterioration of liver function that causes acute liver failure. Causes of type A hepatic brain syndrome are acetaminophen overdose, high alcohol consumption, hepatitis, Wilson's disease
  • Type B: Type B hepatic brain syndrome is caused by the door-host shunt (portosystemic shunt) which is a condition of communication between the door vein and the mother vein of the bladder veins or in order to relieve the pressure of the door vein, so it has surgery to create a door-to-master shunt. Therefore, a large flow of blood from the digestive system directly into the circulating system that ignores the liver is the main mechanism of the disease. The two main causes of this condition are congenital and traumatic.
  • Type C: Cirrhosis scarring is the cause of type C liver syndrome. Cirrhosis develops in late-stage liver disease, the liver is less likely to remove toxins from the bloodstream and perform other functions.

Cirrhosis of the liver

Cirrhosis impairs liver function in patients with type C hepatic brain syndrome

3. diagnose

Through physical examinations and collection of symptoms and medical history, along with other tests, the doctor will diagnose the stages that the person with hepatic brain syndrome suffers from. There are 5 stages of the disease of hepatic brain syndrome and the severity of the symptoms of a person determines the stage of hepatic brain syndrome.

Stage 0: most of the symptoms appear very little, the signs are associated mainly with coordination and concentration.

Stage 1: the patient appears some mild symptoms such as insomnia and reduced attention time.

Stage 2: the patient will experience symptoms: memory loss and slow speaking.

Stage 3: serious symptoms, including personality changes, confusion and lethargy.

Stage 4: Loss of consciousness and coma.

Your doctor may order your patient to perform additional tests to get the most accurate results such as:

  • Blood test: through a blood test, the doctor will identify conditions such as infections, hemorrhages, liver or kidney dysfunction and an increase in toxins in the blood.
  • MRI or CT brain scan: this imaging method helps the doctor identify abnormalities.
  • Electroencephalic.

The role of electroencephages in the diagnosis of headache pathologyAlity of the electroencephages in the diagnosis of headache pathology

Electroencephaity method used in diagnosis of hepatic brain syndrome

4. treat

Based on the diagnosis results, the doctor will offer appropriate treatments for each patient such as:

  • Drugs for infection
  • Use medications or surgeries to control bleeding
  • Drugs that cause liver syndrome may have to stop using
  • Treatment of kidney pathology
  • Drugs to help reduce levels of ammonia and other toxins in the blood
  • Use oxygen breathing, mechanical breathing
  • More serious is liver transplantation

However, during treatment, the doctor also needs to base on the patient's condition to have appropriate treatments such as:

  • Severity of hepatic brain syndrome
  • Symptoms suffered by the person
  • Severity of underlying liver damage
  • Patient's overall age and health

Patients should follow the doctor's treatments to achieve the best treatment results.

Customers can directly go to Share99 Health System nationwide for examination or contact the hotline here for assistance.

SEE MORE:

  • What should people with fatty liver eat?
  • Acute respiratory failure in children: Symptomatic recognition
  • Nutritional principles for patients with liver dysfunction

About: John Smith

b1ffdb54307529964874ff53a5c5de33?s=90&r=gI am the author of Share99.net. I had been working in Vinmec International General Hospital for over 10 years. I dedicate my passion on every post in this site.

RELATED POSTS:

Leave a Comment

0 SHARES
Share
Tweet
Pin