P.s -Consent taken for video Jaundice is a condition in which the skin, whites of the eyes and mucous membranes turn yellow because of a high level of bilirubin, a yellow-orange bile pigment. Jaundice has many causes, including hepatitis, gallstones and tumors.
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There are three types of jaundice:
haemolytic jaundice - caused by destruction of red blood cells. ...
obstructive jaundice - caused by a blockage in the pathway where bilirubin is made in the liver cells and where bile goes into the duodenum.
hepatocellular jaundice - caused by damage to liver cells.
Accompanying symptoms of jaundice resulting from low bilirubin levels include:
fatigue.
abdominal pain.
weight loss.
vomiting.
fever.
pale stools.
dark urine.
Treatments to lower the level of bilirubin in your baby's blood may include: Light therapy (phototherapy). Your baby may be placed under a special lamp that emits light in the blue-green spectrum.
Management
There’s no treatment for jaundice as such, but disease can be managed by managing symptoms and causes of jaundice.
Pre-hepatic jaundice
In treating pre-hepatic jaundice, the objective is to prevent the rapid breakdown of red blood cells that’s causing the level of bilirubin to build up in the blood.
In cases of infections, such as malaria, the use of medication to treat the underlying infection is usually recommended. For genetic blood disorders, such as sickle cell anemia or thalassemia, blood transfusions may be required to replace the red blood cells.
Gilbert’s syndrome doesn’t usually require treatment because the jaundice associated with the condition isn’t particularly serious and doesn’t pose a serious threat to health.
Intra-hepatic jaundice
In cases of intra-hepatic jaundice, there’s little that can be done to repair any liver damage, although the liver can often repair itself over time. Therefore, the aim of treatment is to prevent any further liver damage occurring.
For liver damage that’s caused by infection, such as viral hepatitis or glandular fever, anti-viral medications may be used to help prevent further damage.
If the damage is due to exposure to harmful substances, such as alcohol or chemicals, avoiding any further exposure to the substance is recommended.
In severe cases of liver disease, a liver transplant is another possible option.
Post-Hepatic Jaundice
In most cases of post-hepatic jaundice, surgery is recommended to unblock the bile duct system.
During surgery, it might be required to remove:
The gallbladder
A section of the bile duct system
A section of the pancreas to prevent further blockages occurring
Prevention
It’s not possible to prevent all cases of jaundice because it can be caused by a wide range of conditions or circumstances.
However, by taking certain precautions risk of developing jaundice can be minimised. These include:
Ensuring not to exceed the recommended daily amount (RDA) for alcohol consumption.
Maintaining a healthy weight for height and build.
Vaccination against hepatitis A and hepatitis B.
Avoid high-risk behaviours such as intravenous drug use or unprotected intercourse.
Avoid potentially contaminated food/water and maintain good hygiene
Avoid medications and toxins which can cause hemolysis or directly damage the liver.
Reference:
www.cdc.gov
www.nhs.uk
www.emedicinehealth.com
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