| [613] | 1 | DVBCWLL3 ;ALB/RLC LIVER, GALL BLADDER AND PANCREAS WKS TEXT - 1 ; 19 FEBRUARY 1999
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 | 2 |  ;;2.7;AMIE;**86**;July 22, 2004
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 | 3 |  ;
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 | 4 |  ;
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 | 5 | TXT ;
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 | 6 |  ;;
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 | 7 |  ;;A. Review of Medical Records: This may be of particular importance when
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 | 8 |  ;;   hepatitis C or chronic liver disease is claimed as related to service.
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 | 9 |  ;;
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 | 10 |  ;;B. Medical History (Subjective Complaints): 
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 | 11 |  ;;
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 | 12 |  ;;   1. For Gall Bladder Disease (Including Gall bladder removal): Episodes of
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 | 13 |  ;;      colic or other abdominal pain, distention, nausea, and / or vomiting.
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 | 14 |  ;;      Include a statement on frequency of attacks (number within past year).
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 | 15 |  ;;      Provide statement as to what x-ray (or other) evidence supports diagnosis 
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 | 16 |  ;;      of chronic cholycystitis. Include current treatment - type (medication,
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 | 17 |  ;;      diet, etc.), duration, response, side effects. For Gall Bladder injury,
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 | 18 |  ;;      refer to Stomach, Duodenum and Peritoneal Adhesions worksheet. 
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 | 19 |  ;;
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 | 20 |  ;;   2. For Pancreatic conditions: Does veteran have steatorrhea, malabsorption,
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 | 21 |  ;;      or malnutrition? Comment on whether veteran has attacks of abdominal
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 | 22 |  ;;      pain. Include frequency of attacks (per year). Comment on whether veteran
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 | 23 |  ;;      has diarrhea, weight loss. Is there evidence of continuing pancreatic
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 | 24 |  ;;      insufficiency between acute attacks? Provide evidence (lab or other
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 | 25 |  ;;      clinical studies) that abdominal pain is a consequence of pancreatic
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 | 26 |  ;;      disease. Has veteran had pancreatic surgery? If so, describe. Include
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 | 27 |  ;;      current treatment - type (medication, diet, enzymes, etc.), duration,
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 | 28 |  ;;      response, side effects. 
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 | 29 |  ;;
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 | 30 |  ;;   3. For Chronic Liver disease (including hepatitis B, chronic active
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 | 31 |  ;;      hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis, hemochromatosis, drug-induced hepatitis,
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 | 32 |  ;;      etc., but excluding bile duct disorders and Hepatitis C): (a) Does
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 | 33 |  ;;      veteran have "incapacitating episodes" (defined as periods of acute signs
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 | 34 |  ;;      and symptoms with symptoms such as fatigue, malaise, nausea, vomiting,
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 | 35 |  ;;      anorexia, arthralgia, and right upper quadrant pain with symptoms severe 
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 | 36 |  ;;      enough to require bed rest and treatment by a physician)? If so, provide
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 | 37 |  ;;      frequency of episodes and total duration of episodes over the past
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 | 38 |  ;;      12-month period. Please include comment on whether this is veteran
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 | 39 |  ;;      reported, and / or documented in the available records. (b) Include
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 | 40 |  ;;      current treatment - type (medication, diet, enzymes, etc.), duration,
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 | 41 |  ;;      response, side effects. (c) Comment on presence and severity (e.g.
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 | 42 |  ;;      near-constant, debilitating, daily or intermittent), as appropriate, of
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 | 43 |  ;;      fatigue, malaise, anorexia and weight loss, right upper quadrant pain and
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 | 44 |  ;;      hepatomegaly. (d) Include a history of risk factors for the liver
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 | 45 |  ;;      condition which the veteran is claiming service connection. For instance
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 | 46 |  ;;      (as appropriate) is there a history of occupational blood exposure? IV
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 | 47 |  ;;      drug use? Taking medications that are associated with liver disease?
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 | 48 |  ;;      Include a history of alcohol use / abuse, past and present.  Note presence
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 | 49 |  ;;      or absence of extrahepatic manifestations of veteran's liver disease (e.g.
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 | 50 |  ;;      vasculitis, kidney disease, arthritis.)  Refer to additional worksheets
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 | 51 |  ;;      as necessary.   See and address 4. Cirrhosis of the liver when cirrhosis
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 | 52 |  ;;      is a sequelae. See and address 7 (below) where veteran is status post
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 | 53 |  ;;      liver transplant.
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 | 54 |  ;;
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 | 55 |  ;;   4. For Cirrhosis of the Liver, primary biliary cirrhosis, cirrhotic phase of
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 | 56 |  ;;      sclerosing cholangitis, or as a sequelae of hepatitis from any cause:
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 | 57 |  ;;      (a)Fully describe the following, indicating, as appropriate, the number
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 | 58 |  ;;      of episodes, periods of remission, or whether the condition is refractory
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 | 59 |  ;;      to treatment: (i) ascites, (ii) hepatic encephalopathy, (iii) hemorrhage
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 | 60 |  ;;      from varicies (include comment on episodes of hemetemesis and/or melana,
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 | 61 |  ;;      (iv) portal gastropathy (v) portal hypertension, (vi) jaundice. (b)
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 | 62 |  ;;      comment on: (i) current treatment (s) (medications, diet, response, side
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 | 63 |  ;;      effects, duration) (ii) Discuss presence, frequency (e.g., daily,
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 | 64 |  ;;      intermittent, etc.) and severity of each of the following: weakness,
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 | 65 |  ;;      anorexia, malaise, abdominal pain, weight loss (include amount and time 
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 | 66 |  ;;      frame), weight gain, and weakness. Note presence or absence of
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 | 67 |  ;;      extrahepatic manifestations of veteran's liver disease (e.g.
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 | 68 |  ;;      vasculitis, kidney disease, arthritis.)  Refer to additional worksheets
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 | 69 |  ;;      as necessary.  See and address 3 (above) where cirrhosis is a sequaele
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 | 70 |  ;;      of Chronic Liver disease (including hepatitis B, chronic active
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 | 71 |  ;;      hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis, hemochromatosis, drug-induced
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 | 72 |  ;;      hepatitis, etc., but excluding bile duct disorders and Hepatitis C).
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 | 73 |  ;;      See and address 7 (below) where veteran is status post liver transplant. 
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 | 74 |  ;;
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 | 75 |  ;;   5. For Hepatitis C: (a) Does veteran have "incapacitating episodes" (defined
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 | 76 |  ;;      as periods of acute signs and symptoms with symptoms such as fatigue,
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 | 77 |  ;;      malaise, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, arthralgia, and right upper quadrant
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 | 78 |  ;;      pain with symptoms severe enough to require bed rest and treatment by a
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 | 79 |  ;;      physician)? If so, provide frequency of episodes and total duration of
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 | 80 |  ;;      episodes over the past 12-month period. Please include comment on whether
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 | 81 |  ;;      this is veteran reported, and/ or documented in the available records.
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 | 82 |  ;;      (b) comment on: (i) current treatment (s) (medications, diet, response,
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 | 83 |  ;;      side effects, duration) (ii) Discuss presence, frequency (e.g., daily,
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 | 84 |  ;;      intermittent, etc.) and severity of each of the following: weakness,
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 | 85 |  ;;      anorexia, malaise, abdominal pain, weight loss (include amount and time
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 | 86 |  ;;      frame), weight gain, and weakness. (c) Include a history of risk factors
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 | 87 |  ;;      for the liver condition for which the veteran is claiming service
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 | 88 |  ;;      connection. For instance (as appropriate) is there a history of
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 | 89 |  ;;      occupational blood exposure? IV drug use? See established risk factors
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 | 90 |  ;;      for Hepatitis C, below. Note presence or absence of extrahepatic
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 | 91 |  ;;      manifestations of veteran's liver disease (e.g. vasculitis, kidney
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 | 92 |  ;;      disease, arthritis.)  Refer to additional worksheets as necessary.
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 | 93 |  ;;      See and address 7 (below) where veteran is status post liver transplant. 
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 | 94 |  ;;
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 | 95 |  ;;   6. For Liver Malignancy: Address presence or absence of symptomatolgy, etc.,
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 | 96 |  ;;      as outlined in both: 3. (For Chronic Liver disease (including hepatitis B,
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 | 97 |  ;;      chronic active hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis, hemochromatosis,
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 | 98 |  ;;      drug-induced hepatitis, etc., but excluding bile duct disorders and
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 | 99 |  ;;      Hepatitis C) and 4. (For Cirrhosis of the Liver, primary biliary
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 | 100 |  ;;      cirrhosis, cirrhotic phase of sclerosing cholangitis, or as a sequelae
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 | 101 |  ;;      of hepatitis from any cause) above. 
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 | 102 |  ;;
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 | 103 |  ;;   7. For Liver Transplant: Provide date of transplant. Describe current
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 | 104 |  ;;      treatment(s) (medications, diet, response, side effects, duration).
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 | 105 |  ;;      Please refer to additional AMIE worksheets to address conditions veteran
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 | 106 |  ;;      has as a consequence of the transplant, treatment for the transplant, and
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 | 107 |  ;;      as a consequence of any underlying disease that prompted the transplant
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 | 108 |  ;;      in the first place (e.g. extrahepatic complications / manifestations of
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 | 109 |  ;;      hepatitis C). 
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 | 110 |  ;;
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