Early diagnosis, treatment can prevent liver complications: Experts

Prominent gastroenterologists and hepatologists of the country gave their expert views about timely evaluation and treatment of advance liver disease at a daylong symposium here on Saturday.
The symposium on complication of advance liver disease was held here at Maroof International Hospital. Professor Muzaffar Lateef Gill gave his views about bleeding in advance liver disease. He said that in advance liver disease when patient bleeds first time, there is a 20-30 percent chance of death from that bleeding episode. It is very challenging for the treating physician and the patients’ family to watch the patient bleeding to death, he added. Professor Gill said that intravenous fluids, blood products and endoscopic procedure within 20 hours of hospital admission were keys to successful treatment of this problem. Dean of Agha Khan University Hospital, Professor Wasim Jafri, gave his expert opinion about hepatic encephalopathy due to advance liver disease. He said that prevention and prophylaxis is the approach. He added patient with advance liver disease need very close monitoring by the family and the treating physician, adding, if there is any change in the mental status of the patient they need to get in touch with the treating bowel habits, especially constipation should be addressed timely. Most of these patients require hospital admission and intravenous medicines even intensive case unit (ICU).
Professor Masood Siddiq from Fauji Foundation Hospital talked about incidence of infections in advance liver disease. He stressed avoidance of undue procedures and interventions in these patients, adding, any signs and symptoms like abdominal pain or fever should be reported to the treating physician. Professor Shoaib said prevention was the best cure. “We should diagnose hepatitis B and C patients timely and treat them with most effective medicines.” He said advance liver disease was one of the biggest problems in health care delivery in country and most effective solution is timely liver transplant.
Dr Uzma Gill, who is research fellow and associate consultant at Maroof International Hospital, gave overall review of advance liver disease. She said that predominantly 30% patients with hepatitis B and C develop advance liver disease if not diagnosed timely and treated appropriately. He added once patient develops advance liver disease all measures are temporary and palliative and the permanent solution to this problem was the earliest possible liver transplant.