Surgery | Common Surgical Conditions | General Surgery: Non-Obstructive Jaundice In Surgical Patients

Non-Obstructive Jaundice In Surgical Patients
Session Overview
Description
This session will cover the identification and investigation of jaundice. It will describe the underlying causes and the implications for surgery.

Learning Objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Confidently differentiate between obstructive and non-obstructive jaundice
• List the common causes of non-obstructive jaundice
• Appropriately investigate newly jaundiced patients
• Describe the implications of jaundice for peri-operative management
• Recognise the importance of a multi-disciplinary approach to jaundiced patients requiring surgery

Prerequisites
Before commencing this session you should have:

• Basic knowledge of liver disease including the causes of jaundice
• Advanced knowledge of potential surgical complications and risk factors for surgery

The term ‘jaundice’ refers to the yellowing of the skin and sclera. It is caused by an excess of bilirubin within the body. There are many different causes but it is nearly always pathological.

A patient may be jaundiced prior to, or at presentation to hospital. It may also occur during admission.

It is important to identify patients who are jaundiced as both jaundice itself and the underlying cause have significant implications for both medical and surgical management.