Hepatobiliary disease: medical emergencies

Medical emergencies involving the liver and biliary tract are common clinical problems. If it is already known that the patient has cirrhosis it may be an easy matter to identify the cause of complications such as gastro-intestinal bleeding or coma, but it must be borne in mind that oesophageal varices are not the only cause of such bleeding in cirrhotics and that hepatic encephalopathy is not the only cause of coma. Bacterial infection should always be considered as a possible cause of deterioration in the clinical picture; it may be a complication of pre-existing acute or chronic liver or biliary tract disease or a cause of hepatobiliary disease; prompt administration of appropriate antibiotics may save the patient's life. If there is any suspicion of biliary obstruction in a patient with signs of bacteraemia the biliary tree should be drained without delay. The key to the management of hepatobiliary emergencies lies in prompt and appropriate supportive therapy, and then in a correct diagnosis which may allow specific treatment to be administered. However, it is often difficult to establish the cause, and the resources of a specialist centre may be needed. Prompt referral is indicated when a patient is clearly very ill and shows no signs of rapid improvement.