Precipitants of Decompensated Chronic Liver Disease
- Intercurrent infection, especially spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (Appendix 24.1)
- Acute gastrointestinal bleeding (variceal and non-variceal) (Chapter 73)
- Drugs: diuretics, hypnotics, sedatives and opioid analgesics
- Alcoholic hepatitis
- Viral hepatitis
- Major surgery and anaesthesia
- Liver ischaemia secondary to hypotension
- Acute portal vein thrombosis
- Hypokalaemia and hypoglycaemia
- Constipation
- Development of hepatocellular carcinoma
- No cause apparent (in up to 40% of patients)
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