Acute painless jaundice: assessment and management

The most common presentation of liver and biliary disease is jaundice, and most acute medical teams will encounter several jaundiced patients over time. Some of these patients will be extremely unwell, and a systematic approach will enable all doctors to manage such patients correctly. Key questions should be addressed during initial assessment: i. Is the patient critically ill? ii. Does the patient have fulminant hepatic failure? iii. Is the jaundice secondary to an intra- or extrahepatic cause? This article aims to provide a guide to the assessment and management of the acutely jaundiced patient in the emergency setting.