Being subjective when suffering from cirrhosis, many people are hospitalized in critical condition
At the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, recently continuously receiving patients with cirrhosis in a state of exhaustion, severe digestive bleeding, who had to be hospitalized for emergency treatment in a state of liver coma.
MSc.BS Hoang Thi Mai Hong, Department of General Internal Medicine, Central Tropical Diseases Hospital, said that many patients only detect the disease when the liver has been severely damaged. Many cases, even though they have been diagnosed with cirrhosis, still continue to drink alcohol, use traditional medicine, traditional Chinese medicine or products of unknown origin.
Patient T.V. K, 51 years old, from Thai Nguyen, has a history of alcoholism for many years. Before being admitted to the hospital, the patient appeared with bloody vomiting, prolonged black stools, and severe physical exhaustion, so he was taken to the emergency room by his family.
Examination results at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases showed that the patient had alcohol-induced irreversible cirrhosis, severe gastrointestinal bleeding and severe anemia. All test indicators were at dangerous levels: low blood pressure, high liver enzymes, blood clotting disorders, deep decrease in platelets. The patient quickly fell into a state of lethargy, showed signs of blood loss shock and had to receive many units of blood to maintain life.
According to family members, the patient has been addicted to alcohol for many years, drinking it almost every day. Although his health has declined, the patient did not go for an examination but bought traditional medicine to drink with the hope of "cooling the liver", causing the disease to progress more severely.
Another case is patient L.V.N, 64 years old, in Dien Bien, who also has a history of prolonged drinking alcohol in large quantities every day. Before being admitted to the hospital, the patient developed abdominal pain, jaundice, and prolonged body fatigue, but only self-treated at home with traditional medicine.
When taken to the hospital, the patient was in a state of irreversible cirrhosis accompanied by severe liver failure. Just a few days after being hospitalized, the patient continuously had black stools, vomited blood and had to be transferred to the intensive care treatment area for monitoring.
Cirrhosis cannot be completely cured
MSc. Dr. Hoang Thi Mai Hong added that cirrhosis is a consequence of prolonged liver damage due to viral hepatitis, alcohol abuse, fatty liver or use of toxic drugs for the liver. When the liver has become fibrous, healthy liver cells will gradually be replaced by scar tissue, reducing liver function.
In the early stages, patients often do not have obvious symptoms or only fatigue, loss of appetite, mild bloating. When the disease progresses to the irreversible stage, a series of dangerous complications may appear such as gastrointestinal bleeding, ascites, seborrheal infection, liver coma and liver cancer.
Doctors emphasize that cirrhosis cannot be completely cured but can be controlled if detected early and treated properly. Patients need to absolutely avoid alcohol, follow treatment regimens, have regular check-ups and do not arbitrarily use traditional medicine or functional foods of unknown origin.
When signs such as jaundice, abnormally large abdomen, leg edema, vomiting blood or black stools appear, people need to go to a medical facility immediately for examination and timely treatment.
