Essentials About GI and Liver Diseases for Nurses: What APRNs Need to Know in a Nutshell

The only resource of its kind, this is a concise, practical guide to GI and Liver Disease that delivers current information on diagnosing, managing, and treating common GI and liver disorders, along with liver transplant guidelines. Written for nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants in varied specialties, it fills a gap in information needed by primary and acute care professionals who are the chief caretakers for GI and liver patients. This guide delivers recent important treatment advances that have revolutionized GI and liver care, and provides guidance for seeking expert advice or urgent/emergent care for more complex cases. The resource reviews common GI symptoms and disorders from irritable bowel disorders (including key differences between Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis) to gallstones and GERD. A section on liver disease describes essential liver functions, reviews liver function tests, and addresses commonly and less commonly seen liver disease diagnoses. Complications of cirrhosis are examined to assure prompt recognition of these potentially deadly symptoms. Additionally, the book addresses liver transplantation with comprehensive attention to the evaluation process, organ donation/allocation, and post-transplant care for donor and recipient alike. Each chapter includes an overview, significant laboratory or imaging findings, treatment options, and expected outcomes. This book was originally published under the Fast Facts series by Springer Publishing Company.