Case Study on Liver Disease

Name ____________________________

Instructions: Below you will find a description of a patient's medical and nutritional history. Complete the questions and submit this form to the instructor by e-mail or through Blackboard. Point values for each question are given in parentheses. Do your own work. Identical answers will receive grade of zero. Do not plagiarize. Paraphrase information you have read from the textbook or other sources.

Patient: Mrs. S is a 58 year old banker who works in a very high stress environment. She is required to take clients out socially and admits to drinking about 3 to 4 alcoholic drinks daily. She has been diagnosed with cirrhosis. Her liver enzymes (ALT and AST), ammonia and her bilirubin are elevated in her blood. Her serum albumin is low. She has ascites, steatorrhea and gastroesohphageal varices. Her physician has told her that if she continues to drink alcohol she could develop liver failure. Mrs. S is 5'9" and 140 pounds. At this time, she does NOT have hepatic encephalopathy or signs of hepatic coma.

1. What specific dietary recommendations would you make for dealing with each of the following? A specific recommendation must name a nutrient. (6 points)

a. a. Ascites – Give two specific recommendations.

a. b. Steatorrhea (You may have to go back to lower GI chapter – Give 4 specific recommendations)

1. How many grams of protein per day would you recommend for Mrs. S? Show your calculation. If you simply write down a number you will receive zero pints. (4)

3. Patients with cirrhosis and esophageal varices often have trouble eating enough food to maintain their body weight and allow the liver to heal. What advice can you give Mrs. S to help her eat enough food. Use complete sentences when answering this question. In your answer, show evidence that you have read the text. (5)

EXTRA CREDIT (2) – This is a general question and does not apply to Mrs. S.

What is fatty liver? What are the common causes of fatty liver?

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