Emergency Medicine Residency Program Board Review Questions 1. Alcoholic hepatitis develops in a very high proportion of chronic alcoholics. Common complaints in patients with alcoholic hepatitis include gradual anorexia, abdominal pain, weight loss, weakness, dark urine and jaundice.
Transaminases are usually normal.
An elevated white blood cell count is a prerequisite for diagnosing the disease. Physical findings often include fever, tachycardia, right upper quadrant or epigastric abdominal tenderness with guarding and rebound. Ultrasound of the gallbladder is rarely helpful in confirming the diagnosis. Nausea and vomiting are rarely present. Patients infrequently report similar, self-limited episodes in the past.