When bile flow into the intestine is interrupted, malabsorption of vitamin K occurs as no bile salts are available to facilitate absorption and the prothrombin time increases.
Cholestatic jaundice occurs in young infants due to a variety of causes(1). Irres-pective of the etiology, its pathophysiological consequences on liver cell function are the same. Early recognition and treatment may prevent permanent liver damage at least in some of the patients.
Much of the data avail-able on this subject is from western literature. This study was done to analyze the various causes that lead to cholestatic jaundice in infants in a developing country.
Cholestatic Constipation can be corrected by giving 10 mg of phytomenadione intramuscularly. (Note that an increased prothrombin time because of liver disease does not respond to vitamin K injection, there being no shortage of vitamin K, just bad liver function.)
In patients with chronic cholestasis (e.g. primary biliary cirrhosis) oral therapy using a water-soluble preparation, menadiol sodium phosphate 10 mg daily, is used.
Symptoms of Cholestatic jaundice
A yellowing of the skin, sclerae, and other tissues due to excess circulating bilirubin. Mild jaundice, best seen by examining the sclerae in natural light, is usually detectable when serum bilirubin reaches 2 to 2.5 mg/dL.
Cholestatic jaundice of pregnancy is a condition characterized by pruritis, icterus, or both during pregnancy. A total of 9 pregnancies complicated by cholestatic jaundice are presented.
Three of these cases are presented in detail because they reflect complications that can occur with this condition.
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