Alcoholic Liver Cirrhosis: Symptoms, Laboratory Results, and Prescribed Medicines

Running Head: ALCOHOLIC LIVER CIRRHOSIS 1
Alcoholic Liver Cirrhosis
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ALCOHOLIC LIVER CIRRHOSIS 2
Alcoholic Liver Cirrhosis
How Alcoholic Cirrhosis Leads to Mr. Cherry’s Symptoms
Liver cirrhosis is the main cause of ascites. Generally, ascites portrayed in Mr.
Cherry’s symptoms is a mixture of the high pressure in the veins that are found in the liver
and a reduction of liver functions caused by damaging of the liver (Glanz, Rimer and
Viswanath, 2015). A lot of the patients who are affected by the ascites develop abdominal
swelling just as portrayed by Mr. Cherry’s abdominal pains. Also, another symptom
considered to be a factor triggering encephalopathy in alcoholic cirrhosis patients is
constipation. Constipation involves the withholding of wastes in the gut and reabsorption of
harmful material such as ammonia. Anorexia nervosa is also another significant symptom of
liver cirrhosis which is characterized by weight gain. The damage of the liver with a slight
increase in hepatic enzymes is a normal steatosis and complication of the liver considered to
be the main cause (Glanz, Rimer and Viswanath, 2015). This explanation describes the
reasons for Mr. Cherry’s regular episodes of anorexia.
Generally, different liver disorders and gall bladder can disrupt the bile actions
hindering the appropriate breakdown of fats in the gut. For instance, this incidence can take
place in people with liver cirrhosis and gallstones. Consequently, the malabsorption of the
acid often leads to loose stools or diarrhoea (Foxall and Blackburn, 2008). This description
explains why Mr. Cherry had some episodes of diarrhoea. Fatigue is also one of the
debilitating and common symptoms of individuals suffering from liver cirrhosis. Fatigue is
common to different types of liver diseases which range from chronic Hepatitis C to Primary
Biliary Cirrhosis. In some patients such as Mr. Cherry, fatigue may be the main reason for
pursuing medical attention while in others fatigue may begin a number of years after they are
diagnosed with liver cirrhosis. Thus, Mr. Cherry felt unusually tired after engaging in
minimum exercise such as walking due to fatigue as a symptom of liver cirrhosis. Indigestion

ALCOHOLIC LIVER CIRRHOSIS 3
is another body function which is often affected by liver cirrhosis. This incidence occurs
because liver cirrhosis interrupts the ability of the liver to generate bile which is often used in
the digestive system to assist in vitamin and fat absorption (Foxall and Blackburn, 2008). For
this reason, indigestion may lead to the deposition of fats which eventually results in weight
gain or overweight. In Mr. Cherry’s case, alcoholic cirrhosis affected the ability of his liver to
make bile used for fat digestion and that why he had enlarged or distended abdomen.
The significance of Mr. Cherry’s Laboratory Results
The normal fasting blood sugar is about 5.6 micromol/L. Any level between 5.7
micromol/L and 7.0 micromol/L can indicate signs of pre-diabetes. Mr. Cherry’s 5.7
micromols/L may be an indication he could develop type 2 diabetes if he did not make
important changes in his lifestyle.
The normal haematocrit level of an adult male ranges from 42% to 54%. Mr. Cherry’s
39% means that the level of his red blood cells is lower than the limits of a normal male
adult.
Prothrombin time (PT/INR) refers to the clotting factors often produced by the liver.
This test analyses the function of clotting and its outcomes may be elongated by alcoholic
cirrhosis (Garcia-Tsao et al., 2016). In Mr. Cherry’s case, his PT/INR was 4.0 against the
normal range of between 0.8 and 1.2.
Bilirubin refers to a waste material that results from the breakdown of red blood cells.
Ordinarily, bilirubin is always processed by the liver. Before the excretion of bilirubin
through someone’s stool, it always passes through the liver. The normal bilirubin level
generally ranges from 2 to 17 micromol/L (Bullock & Hales, 2017). Mr. Cherry’s total
bilirubin levels were 24.3 micromol/L. Therefore, Mr. Cherry’s impaired liver could not
process the bilirubin properly leading to its high level in the blood.