Spectrum of Liver Diseases in Liver Clinic at Bir Hospital

Abstract

Background: In Nepal as in many developing countries, diseases related to liver and biliary tract are very common. About 10% of the patients admitted to the medical wards of Bir hospital have chronic liver disease. Hepatic coma, either due to cirrhosis of liver or fulminate hepatitis and UGI bleeding from esophageal varices due to chronic liver disease is the common emergency admissions in this hospital. Besides chronic liver disease associated with alcohol and Hepatitis B virus, the etiology is not yet clear in a large group of patients. Regarding the acute liver diseases, acute viral hepatitis is the most common and the infection with Hepatitis B virus is the major public health problem which is practically preventable. Therefore this study aims to seek the pattern of liver disease prevalent in our community. Methods: This was a retrospective study done between the years August 2001-July 2002 at Bir hospital. All the patients attending the liver out-patient department and all the patients who were admitted in the indoor were taken as the study population. Results: In the outdoor, 31.8% were the alcohol related liver diseases whereas 41.5% of the total admitted cases were due to it. Acute viral hepatitis accounted for only 11.6%. Interestingly IVC obstruction accounted for 12% of total liver out-patient attendance and 21% of total indoor admission. Conclusions: These types of studies need to be carried out at different parts of the country so that cumulative data can be collected and exact report can be published. Keywords: Bir hospital; indoor; liver diseases; out-patient department; prevalence.