Fatty liver disease (nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, or NAFLD) is the build up of fat in liver cells. A person has fatty liver when fat makes up at least 10% of the liver. This can be caused by being overweight, diabetes, poor nutrition, drinking alcohol, and certain drugs. Simple fatty liver does not cause permanent damage to the liver. Having hepatitis C and fatty liver, however, can increase liver damage. It is estimated that at least 50% of people with hepatitis C also have fatty liver disease. If one has both hepatitis C and fatty liver, it may be harder to treat the hepatitis and the liver is at risk for greater damage. This course provides an overview of how fat causes liver damage, what liver damage or fibrosis is, side effect management during treatment, and medical vs. other management of obesity.

Section Description

We are pleased to present the abstracts from SGNA's 34th Annual Course, Charting a Course for Professional Growth. The diversity of these topics certainly reflects the richness and breadth of our specialty. In keeping with the tradition of the Annual Course, we hope the following abstracts will encourage discussions for improving nursing practice and patient care outcomes.