title: Diagnosis and management of alcoholic hepatitis.
abstract: Alcoholic hepatitis is a form of severe, cholestatic liver disease that results from consumption of large amount of alcohol during a sustained period of time in a subset of alcoholics. Symptoms could be mild and nonspecific to more severe. The diagnosis of alcoholic hepatitis can be made with a thorough history, physical examination, and review of laboratory results. Liver biopsy is confirmatory but generally not indicated for the diagnosis. Abstinence is the key form of therapeutic intervention. Despite variable results in clinical trials, corticosteroids and pentoxifylline seem to provide moderate survival benefit. Liver transplantation in acute alcoholic hepatitis is contentious.
authors.affiliation: University of Tennessee Health sciences center,1211 Union Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104, USA.
authors.forename: Umair
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Sohail
authors.forename: Sanjaya K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Satapathy
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001706:Biopsy; D006519:Hepatitis, Alcoholic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008115:Liver Regeneration; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D044623:Nutrition Therapy; D010431:Pentoxifylline / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013695:Temperance; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000975:Antioxidants; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D010431:Pentoxifylline