Jaundice

  : My husband has Jaundice and I was wondering if this is really dangerous....
  and how can one tell the difference between Jaundice and hepatitis??
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Dear Anon,
You have asked an important question regarding  jaundice and hepatitis. Jaundice is a term that refers to a specific finding on physical examination: yellow eyes.  Jaundice is the result of high levels of bilirubin in the blood. There are many causes of jaundice. Briefly, the causes of jaundice can be classified into three categories-
1) Diseases of the liver-  One of the most common causes of liver injury is hepatitis.  Hepatitis, which means inflammation of the liver, can be due to viral infection, medications, and alcohol to mention the more frequent causes.
2) Blockage of the flow of bile from the liver
3) Excessive breakdown of red blood cells in the body.
When a patient has jaundice, it is necessary to obtain  a panel of liver tests and often an ultrasound of the liver to exclude bile duct obstruction.  Excessive breakdown of red cells is usually excluded by the clinical context and the initial liver tests.
If hepatitis is the cause, then additional blood tests are done to exclude viral hepatitis and the other causes of liver disease.
This information is provided for educational purposes only.  Always consult your physician for specific medical questions.
HFHSM.D.-sg
*keywords: hepatitis, jaundice
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