Is a liver abscess serious? How is it treated?

Written by Zhang Wei Wei
Integrative Medicine
Updated on September 06, 2024
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If acute abdomen and peritonitis caused by liver abscesses, rupture, hemorrhage, or pyothorax, etc., liver abscesses are relatively severe. In these cases, the first steps should be the use of adequate antibiotics for a sufficient course, along with systemic supportive therapy, then controlling the inflammation and promoting the absorption of the inflammation. For conditions like rupture of liver abscesses or severe damage to the liver lobes that results in loss of normal function, surgical removal may also be considered. Additionally, for large liver abscesses that have perforated, causing peritonitis, pyothorax, or cholangiogenic liver abscess, while using systemic antibiotics, actively incising and draining the abscess should be considered. (Please use medications and treatment under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Zhang Wei Wei
Integrative Medicine
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Can a liver abscess cause ascites?

Can liver abscess cause ascites? Some liver abscesses can cause ascites. Firstly, it must be understood why ascites occur. It is because the patient has poor resistance, internal infections, and is prone to worsened infections. A liver abscess involves significant energy consumption due to prolonged fever and intermittent fevers, which can reduce the liver’s capacity to synthesize albumin, leading to a decrease in colloid osmotic pressure within the blood vessels. This is accompanied by the formation of fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity. Therefore, when a patient with a liver abscess develops ascites, there is no need to be overly anxious or nervous. Treatment can involve vigorous anti-infection measures, supplementation with albumin, and other supportive treatments to improve the symptoms and alleviate the patient's ascites, facilitating a quicker recovery.

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Written by Zhang Wei Wei
Integrative Medicine
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Principles of medical treatment for liver abscess

The principle is early diagnosis and early treatment, including the management of the primary disease, and then avoiding the occurrence of complications. Non-surgical treatment requires the use of effective and sufficient amounts of antibacterial drugs, proactive supportive care, and enhancement of the body's resistance. For a single larger abscess, it can be punctured and drained under ultrasound guidance, or continuously flushed and drained through percutaneous catheter placement, and treated with injection of antibiotics. However, the antibiotic treatment for liver abscess requires a sufficient amount and full course of symptomatic supportive care to suppress the spread of inflammation and facilitate rapid absorption of inflammation. At the same time, we can adopt some traditional Chinese medicine methods and treatment approaches to reduce swelling and drain pus, which synergistically enhance the treatment effect.

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Written by Zhang Wei Wei
Integrative Medicine
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Why is there a low fever with a liver abscess?

Why do patients with liver abscesses continuously have a low fever? This is because a liver abscess is a purulent liver condition caused by various microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, or amoebas, indicating severe inflammation due to the presence of pus in the liver, resulting in a fever. But why is it a low fever? The reason may be attributed to the fact that it is inherently a bacterial infection. Treatment requires prolonged use of high-dose, full-course antibiotics. During this process, some bacteria might not be completely eradicated, or some residual bacteria continue to linger in the liver, thereby easily causing fever. Fever is a manifestation of the body's self-protection, so there is no need for excessive worry or anxiety. With proper full-course treatment, the disease can be cured. (Please use medication under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Zhang Wei Wei
Integrative Medicine
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Can I drink milk with a liver abscess?

Patients with liver abscess can drink milk if they are not allergic to it. The main symptoms of a liver abscess are abdominal pain and irregular high fever, and it is considered a consumptive disease. For such diseases, we must strengthen nutritional support treatment and adopt a digestible, high-protein diet to achieve the purpose of rapid improvement and cure of the disease. Milk is a food with relatively high protein content and is also easy to digest. If there is no milk allergy, patients with liver abscess can drink an appropriate amount of milk. About 250ml per day is beneficial for the rapid recovery of the liver abscess and for improving the body's immunity.

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Written by Zhang Wei Wei
Integrative Medicine
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Will ferritin be high in hepatic abscess?

Will ferritin levels rise in cases of liver abscess? First, we need to understand the significance of ferritin testing. I can also tell you that ferritin does not necessarily increase during a liver abscess. The main form of iron in the body is present as serum ferritin. Clinically, its relationship with the aforementioned diseases is something we can discuss. The first one is related to iron-deficiency anemia. Generally, early stages of iron deficiency do not directly cause significant anemia, but they will lead to a reduction in iron stores. There are many methods for determining serum iron content in clinical laboratories, but none are as sensitive and reliable as serum ferritin. The second point is its relationship with tumors. Ferritin acts as a soluble tissue protein that stores iron in the body. It consists of a protein shell and an iron core, with the iron core having a strong capacity to bind and store iron, maintaining the supply of iron and the relative stability of hemoglobin. The liver is the site of synthesis of serum ferritin and also the organ that clears it. Normally, only a small amount is found in the serum, so during acute or chronic liver damage, or liver cancer, a noticeable increase occurs. Therefore, when liver abscesses affect liver function or cause destruction of liver cells, it can also lead to increased ferritin levels. However, in the early stages of a liver abscess, if treatment is proactive, ferritin levels might not increase.