Chronic liver disease is a problem for all of us. It develops silently, often taking many years to cause sufficient damage to be detectable or cause signs or symptoms for which a patient would seek attention. Primary care has a central role in improving the prevention and early detection of chronic liver disease. This special issue of the British Journal of Primary Care Nursing (BJPCN) and Primary Care Cardiovascular Journal on chronic liver disease is full of step-by-step guides and informative articles to give you the key information and tools to get to grips with this important condition.
If I had one wish for improving the management of liver disease-¦
Caring for patients with chronic liver disease in practice
Liver disease is now the fifth leading cause of death in the UK but the good news is that liver disease is largely preventable and there is much we can do in primary care to educate people about the risks. This article explains the importance of identifying those patients who are at risk of liver disease, implementing risk reduction strategies, ensuring an accurate diagnosis is made and optimising ongoing management, including self-care strategies.
Holding out for a hero: helping patients to look after their livers
The liver is the body’s unsung hero, quietly working away to make the vital substances that keep a wide range of essential body processes ticking over, breaking down chemicals that would otherwise be toxic and hoovering up worn-out blood cells. But liver disease is currently very low on the primary care agenda compared to other long-term conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and respiratory conditions. Awarded ‘nil points’ on the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF), the liver doesn’t get a look in when it comes to health checks and dedicated clinics. So how can we make sure the liver isn’t left out of consultations?
Understanding viral hepatitis: as easy as A, B, C
Viral hepatitis is one of the three main causes of liver disease. We review the different types of viral hepatitis and the key steps in prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
Back to Basics: What goes wrong in chronic liver disease?
When and how to use liver function tests
Why bother checking a patient’s liver function? We look at when and how to use liver function tests in clinical practice.
Making sense of liver function tests
The liver has many functions, and therefore diseases of the liver have numerous consequences. These can be detected and monitored with blood tests. This article provides a review of liver function tests, or LFTs, and how they relate to the key functions of the liver and some of the most common liver diseases.
Reducing alcohol misuse and using audit tools in primary care
Excessive alcohol consumption has joined smoking and obesity as one of today’s major threats to public health. It is a major cause of liver disease, as well as a range of cancers, cardiovascular disease and mental illness. What’s the solution? We look at how primary care can identify patients who are drinking too much and what interventions can help.
British Heart Foundation – New support for GPs
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is often seen as an organisation focused on patients. This is true, but along with major research, supporting healthcare professionals is also a vital part of our role. In the past we have worked mainly with specialists in secondary care, but now we are re-focusing our attention. For the first time, we are supporting GPs and other primary healthcare professionals with education and training, and becoming involved in projects where GPs play a central role in improving patient outcomes.
Chronic kidney disease: an increasingly recognised marker of cardiovascular risk
Richard Bright was ahead of his time in recognising the importance of being able to diagnose renal disease. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients can be at similar levels of cardiovascular risk to those patients who have previously had a heart attack.
Stroke and cardiovascular disease: significant progress but still much to do
In March 2012, the Department of Health created the first National Clinical Director post dedicated to stroke care. Whilst the post is an interim one, pending final decisions about the nature of clinical input to the NHS Commissioning Board from 1st April 2013, its creation emphasises the commitment of the government to continue the implementation of the National Stroke Strategy, in the context of a major emphasis on joining up cardiovascular care.
