Dangerous complications of cirrhosis

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Doctor Tran Quoc Tuan - Emergency Resuscitation Doctor - Emergency Resuscitation Department - Vinmec Phu Quoc International General Hospital
Cirrhosis is one of the dangerous chronic diseases that can lead to many complications that seriously affect health, even life-threatening with a very high mortality rate.

1. What is cirrhosis of the liver?

Cirrhosis is a condition in which the liver is severely damaged due to some cause. At that time, the attacked liver cells will gradually die, being replaced by bands of fibrous tissue and "regenerating" nuclei. More and more fiber and "regenerating" kernels cause the structure of the liver to change, affecting the functioning of the liver, creating cirrhosis.
Common causes of cirrhosis are hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus and drinking too much alcohol... People with cirrhosis in the early stages often have no specific symptoms, until cirrhosis causes cirrhosis. new complications of the disease. If detected and treated promptly, it is possible to prevent the development of cirrhosis and minimize life-threatening complications.

2. Complications of cirrhosis of the liver

2.1. Gastrointestinal bleeding Fibrosis in the liver impedes blood flow through the liver, causing increased pressure in the portal vein and veins at the portal-host junction system. It also causes esophageal varices and gastric aneurysms. These veins are dilated to a certain limit and will rupture leading to gastrointestinal bleeding. The patient will vomit blood or have blood in the stool, the loss of a lot of blood makes the patient dizzy, tuberculosis, acute anemia. If not treated promptly, it can lead to death.
2.2. Leg swelling, ascites Increased portal pressure and decreased blood protein cause leg swelling and fluid accumulation in the abdomen, called ascites. Ascites for too long, a lot of fluid accumulation can cause ascites infection. Patients will have fever, severe abdominal pain, loose stools. When seeing these signs, the patient needs to go to the hospital as soon as possible.
2.3. Hepatic coma, hepatic encephalopathy Cirrhosis causes the liver's function to be affected, the liver cannot eliminate toxins from the body, especially severe cirrhosis. People with severe cirrhosis also have harmful toxins in the intestines such as ammonia gas (NH3)... these gases are not pushed out, so they enter the blood, follow the blood to the brain and accumulate here causing encephalopathy. - liver. Symptoms of encephalopathy - liver are impaired consciousness, the patient is confused, not lucid, then comatose in the liver and can die very quickly. Some factors that increase the risk of encephalopathy - liver disease are gastrointestinal bleeding, infection, dehydration, constipation...
2.4. Renal failure People with kidney failure due to cirrhosis of the liver will urinate less and for a long time, unable to urinate anymore. This is called hepato-renal syndrome. If not treated early, the disease can lead to death.
2.5. The liver cannot eliminate toxins from the body, the body's immunity is also affected, so people with cirrhosis are very susceptible to infections such as ascites infection, blood infection. , pneumonia...
2.6. Liver cancer People with cirrhosis have a very high risk of liver cancer. Early stage liver cancer has no specific symptoms. Many patients are only discovered by chance during routine physical examination or abdominal ultrasound. In more advanced stages, tumors in the liver will cause pain in the lower right flank, patients lose weight quickly, fatigue, exhaustion, even abdominal bleeding due to tumor rupture.
People with cirrhosis should have regular health checkups, screening for liver cancer every 3-6 months to detect early complications of the disease.
Vinmec International General Hospital provides customers with a Liver Cancer Screening Package – detecting cancer early when there are no symptoms. When registering for the package of screening and early detection of liver cancer, customers will receive:
Examination and consultation with an oncologist through an oncology appointment. Peripheral blood cell analysis. Assess liver function through tests such as measuring ALT activity (GPT), measuring AST activity (GOT), measuring GGT activity (Gama Glutamyl Transferase), measuring total Bilirubin. Screening for hepatitis B and C virus infection through rapid HBsAg test and automatic immunological HCV Ab test. Screening for liver cancer through the quantitative test of AFP (Alpha Fetoproteine). Screening for liver tumors by abdominal ultrasound (general). Currently, Vinmec International General Hospital is one of the medical facilities with a team of leading medical experts in the field of oncology, the most modern machinery and equipment in the region. Those will be good conditions to help the screening for early detection of liver cancer be quick, convenient and time-saving. As a result, it is possible to screen for liver cancer, helping to detect liver cancer at an early stage so that appropriate and timely treatment measures can be taken.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.

3. How to prevent complications of cirrhosis

Healthy diet: eat light, limit salt, limit fast food and greasy food... Do not drink alcohol, beer, use stimulants Exercise regularly, exercise health Regular health check-ups, screening for liver cancer Take medicine to treat symptoms correctly and at the right dose according to the doctor's instructions