The Why? Series
Why is ascites always treated with a combination of furosemide and spironolactone? Why is the AST usually higher than ALT in alcoholic hepatitis? The Why? Series aims to answer your burning questions about the "dogma" of liver disease, using a combination of basic physiology, scientific evidence, and clinical experiential knowledge.
Current Team
Fellow Lead
Faculty Editor
The Why? SeriesWhy should we screen for hepatitis delta?
As trainees, we are well versed in screening for hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV). However, few of us have experience with hepatitis delta…
Hanna BlaneyThe Why? SeriesWhy does alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency cause liver disease?
Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (A1AD) is caused by mutations in the SERPINA1 gene, which leads to decreased levels of alpha-1 antitrypsin (A1A), resulting in both lung…
Juan Jose GonzalezThe Why? SeriesWhy is Nutrition So Important in Alcohol Associated Liver Disease?
Malnutrition is common in alcohol associated liver disease (ALD). Malnutrition, as defined by WHO, refers to deficiencies, excesses, or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and/or nutrients. In…
Hanna BlaneyThe Why? SeriesWhy are patients with cirrhosis susceptible to hepatorenal syndrome (HRS)?
Acute kidney injury (AKI) occurs in approximately 20 % of hospitalized patients with cirrhosis and is associated with increased mortality. The most common causes of AKI…
Anahita RabieeThe Why? SeriesWhy are non-invasive risk scores such as FIB-4 used in clinical practice?
One of the most important predictors of liver related morbidity and mortality is stage of liver fibrosis. This makes identifying and quantifying the degree of…
Melissa KaltenbachThe Why? SeriesWhy do we use steroids, Maddrey’s Discriminant Function, and the Lille score in Alcohol-Associated Hepatitis?
We use several calculations to guide our management of Alcohol-Associated Hepatitis (AAH), formally known has Alcoholic Hepatitis. Have you ever wondered why? Let’s start with…
Hanna BlaneyThe Why? SeriesWhy do we screen for hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhosis?
Preventative care in patients with liver disease is essential and complicated; when the liver goes down, it takes other organs down with it. In addition…
Bilal AsifThe Why? SeriesWhy do we use early TIPS for the management of variceal bleeding?
In this series, we will talk about the natural history of variceal bleeding, current standard of care, patients defined as high risk for treatment failure,…
Anahita RabieeThe Why? SeriesWhy do we use antibiotics for SBP prophylaxis?
You may have noticed that we often start antibiotics for patients with cirrhosis to prevent spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP). Have you ever wondered why?
Melissa KaltenbachThe Why? SeriesWhy do we use Lactulose and Rifaximin for Hepatic Encephalopathy?
Lactulose and Rifaximin (Xifaxan) are standards of care for the prevention of overt hepatic encephalopathy in patients with cirrhosis. Have you ever wondered why? Join…
Alyson KaplanCurrent Team
Fellow Lead
Faculty Editor
Ideas?
Do you have suggestions for topics within this series? Are you a fellow interested in contributing? Please feel free to reach out via Twitter to the fellow lead or to Liver Fellow Network directly. You can also e-mail us at liverfellownetwork@gmail.com.