Acute Hepatitis

Exam Cram

• Acute Hepatitis describes acute liver injury

• Common causes include Viral Hepatitis AE & Paracetamol Overdose 

• Diagnosis: acutely deranged LFTs 

• Management: investigate for underlying cause

Causes of Acute Hepatitis

Similarities with list of conditions that cause liver cirrhosis. 

• Infective

  • Viral Hepatitis A-E

  • CMV (Cytomegalovirus) 

  • EBV 

• Toxicology

  • Intentional Overdose: Paracetamol , Alcohol 

  • Iatrogenic: 

    • Cholestatic: penicillins- co-amoxiclav

    • Hepatocellular injury: 

• Metabolic

  • NAFLD, Haemochromatosis , Wilson's Disease 

• Shocked Liver- commonly from sepsis

Gastro Reg Notes

Liver Cirrhosis Causes

Commonest causes: 

• Alcoholic Liver Disease (ALD)

• Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)

Core

• Acute: Paracetamol Overdose , Viral Hepatitis

• Inherited: Haemachromatosis , Wilson's Disease ,  Alpha Trypsin 1 Deficiency , 

• Autoimmune: Autoimmune Hepatitis , Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (PBC) , Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) 

Rarer

• Porphyria , Cystic Fibrosis 

Resources and References

Written in 2025