About the podcast series
The incidence of liver disease in the UK is increasing and it is important that healthcare professionals are equipped to manage patients with liver disease. Nine out of ten cases of liver disease can be prevented and healthcare professionals are well placed to make interventions and provide advice to reduce these risks.
This podcast series has been developed in collaboration with the British Hepatology Pharmacy Group.
Liver disease
Kieran Reynolds talks to Sital Shah, Consultant Hepatology Pharmacist, in our introductory podcast about liver disease. Discussion includes the functions of the liver, difference between liver disease and liver impairment, liver blood tests and how to classify severity of cirrhosis (scarring of the liver).
Further information
Assessing liver function and interpreting liver blood tests
British Liver Trust – about the liver
NHS conditions – liver disease
Calculating and using the Child-Pugh score
British Liver Trust – liver blood tests
Cirrhosis
Kieran Reynolds talks to Naz Kanani Alviri, Principal Pharmacist, Hepatology & Liver Transplantation, about liver cirrhosis. Discussion includes what cirrhosis is and how it is diagnosed, the difference between compensated and decompensated cirrhosis, complications of decompensated cirrhosis and initiatives being undertaken to improve the earlier diagnosis of liver disease.
Further information
Calculating and using the Child-Pugh score
British Association for the Study of the Liver: Prescribing weight-adjusted oral paracetamol in adults Position Statement (available under Resources)
NHS mobile testing scheme finds thousands of new cases of liver damage
Drugs in liver impairment
Kieran Reynolds talks to Aimee Francisco, Advanced Specialist Gastroenterology Pharmacist and primary care lead at the British Hepatology Pharmacy Group about drugs in liver impairment. Discussion includes key issues to consider when prescribing in liver disease, medicines to avoid (or use with caution) in liver disease, drug induced liver injury and herbal medicines.
Further information
Questions to ask when giving medicines advice in liver impairment
Information resources for managing medicines in liver impairment
British Association for the Study of the Liver: Symptom control in adults with advanced liver disease (available under Resources)
British Association for the Study of the Liver: Prescribing weight-adjusted oral paracetamol in adults Position Statement (available under Resources)
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s About Herbs database