Contents

Disclaimer

Oxford University Press makes no representation, express or implied, that the drug dosages in this book are correct. Readers must therefore always check the product information and clinical procedures with the most up to date published product information and data sheets provided by the manufacturers and the most recent codes of conduct and safety regulations. The authors and the publishers do not accept responsibility or legal liability for any errors in the text or for the misuse or misapplication of material in this work. Except where otherwise stated, drug dosages and recommendations are for the non-pregnant adult who is not breastfeeding.

Show Summary Details
Page of

Pathophysiology and causes of jaundice in the critically ill 

Pathophysiology and causes of jaundice in the critically ill
Chapter:
Pathophysiology and causes of jaundice in the critically ill
Author(s):

Anand D. Padmakumar

and Mark C. Bellamy

DOI:
10.1093/med/9780199600830.003.0192
Page of

PRINTED FROM OXFORD MEDICINE ONLINE (www.oxfordmedicine.com). © Oxford University Press, 2021. All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the licence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of a title in Oxford Medicine Online for personal use (for details see Privacy Policy and Legal Notice).

date: 19 January 2022

Critically-ill patients develop jaundice for a variety of reasons. A good understanding of bilirubin metabolism can help the clinician to diagnose and treat jaundice. Intensive care unit (ICU) physicians commonly encounter elevated serum bilirubin in severely-ill patients, which can be associated with increased morbidity and mortality. A complex interaction of enzymatic pathways leads to safe excretion of bilirubin. This fine homeostasis is often disturbed and leads jaundice, which can be broadly classified into three main categories—prehepatic, hepatic, and post-hepatic. Common examples include sepsis, cardiac failure, drug toxicity, hepatic ischaemia, gall stone disease, etc. Management strategies directed towards the underlying causes aim to improve outcome. The aetiology can be often multifactorial and difficult to treat. This chapter provides a brief overview of bilirubin metabolism and aetiopathogenesis of jaundice. We also provide key recommendations to develop a systematic diagnostic approach, provide guidance on ordering appropriate investigations and on interpreting their results.

Access to the complete content on Oxford Medicine Online requires a subscription or purchase. Public users are able to search the site and view the abstracts for each book and chapter without a subscription.

Please subscribe or login to access full text content.

If you have purchased a print title that contains an access token, please see the token for information about how to register your code.

For questions on access or troubleshooting, please check our FAQs, and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us.