In modern medicine and daily life, drugs are an important tool for people to fight disease and maintain health. However, many may not be aware of the fact that, while treating diseases, drugs can cause liver damage and cause pharmaceutical liver damage. This “crisis” of the liver as a result of inappropriate drug use is a growing concern that requires our in-depth knowledge in order to guarantee the safety and health of the liver.
The liver, as an important metabolic organ of the human body, has important tasks such as the conversion of drugs, detoxification and the excretion of metabolic products. Hepatitis damage occurs mainly as a direct toxic effect of the drug itself or its metabolites on the liver cell, or as a result of the inflammation of the liver through the mechanism of immunolysis, resulting in hepatocellular damage and abnormal liver function. Almost all drugs can cause liver damage, with varying probabilities and severity.
There is a wide variety of common drugs that can cause damage to the pharmaceutical liver. For example, anti-tuberculosis drugs in antibiotics, such as isopinium, Lifupin, may cause damage to the liver as a result of their long-term or unreasonable use; antithermal analgesics, such as acetaminophenol, which, if overdosed, can overburden the liver and thus cause liver damage; some lipid-reducing drugs, such as cartin, may also cause abnormal liver function in a small number of patients; in addition, some Chinese herbs and their preparations, such as Rayseng and Hobo, have also been found to be associated with pharmaceutical liver damage in recent years, possibly due to the complexity of the composition of the drug, inappropriately manufactured methods or differences in individual sensitivity to the drug.
The various clinical manifestations of pharmaceutical liver damage and the lack of specificity make early diagnosis more difficult. Patients may suffer from symptoms such as lack of strength, reduced appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal swelling and liver pain, which are similar to other liver diseases such as viral hepatitis, fat hepatitis, etc. and can be easily confused. Some of the patients may also experience yellow stings, as shown by yellowing of the skin and gill membranes and increased urine color, as a result of chlamydia metabolism after hepatic cell damage. Serious pharmaceutical liver damage can develop into acute liver failure, life-threatening complications such as coagulation functional disorders and liver cerebral disease, requiring urgent treatment such as liver transplants.
For the diagnosis of pharmaceutical liver damage, doctors need to enquire in detail about the patient ‘ s history of use, including information on the name of all drugs recently used, dosages, time of use and whether multiple drugs are used at the same time, which is a key part of the diagnosis. At the same time, a comprehensive determination is made in the light of the patient ‘ s symptoms, signs and liver function results, such as the increase in serocyte, chlamydia, alkaline phosphate, gamma-diaaminocyte and other indicators. Visual examinations such as liver ultrasound and CT help to understand liver morphology, structure and blood flow and to exclude other liver diseases. In some cases, hepatic biopsies may also be required to determine the type and extent of liver damage through pathological examinations, providing a more accurate basis for diagnosis and treatment.
The prevention of pharmaceutical liver damage is essential. First, medical instructions should be strictly followed before medications are used, and free use should be avoided, in particular, to avoid the abuse of antibiotics, antithermal painkillers and Chinese herbs. For patients requiring long-term medication, hepatic function checks should be carried out on a regular basis in order to detect potential liver damage at an early stage. At the same time, attention should be paid to the dose and method of use of the drug, which is not excessive or abusive, and which is strictly in accordance with the instructions or the recommendations of the doctor. When using drugs that may cause liver damage, such as anti-tuberculosis drugs, hepatopharmaceuticals may be used at the same time to reduce the burden on the liver, but the use of hepatopharmaceuticals is also subject to medical guidance.
In the event of a suspected medical liver damage, the medication should be stopped and medical treatment should be provided in a timely manner. Doctors take care of liver damage according to the severity of the damage. In the case of mild liver damage, the hepatic function may gradually return to normal on its own, while appropriate hepatopaint, enzyme and yellowic treatment may be provided to facilitate the rehabilitation of the liver. In the case of moderate severe liver damage, hospitalization may be required, indicators such as liver function, coagulation function are closely monitored, more active treatment measures such as intravenous infusion of liver medicine, vitamin supplementation and nutritional support, and artificial liver support treatment or liver transplants may be necessary.
Drug liver damage is a health problem that cannot be ignored, and we should raise awareness of it, use it with caution, strengthen prevention, ensure that, while treating diseases, drugs do not cause unnecessary harm to the liver, protect our body’s “detoxification plant” – the liver – and maintain the health balance.
Anomalous results from liver function check.
