The patient in the icteric phase of hepatitis asks the nurse, “Why are my stools

1. The liver is inflamed thus, bile is not being synthesized → no brown color stool

2 -- Icteric (jaundiced) phase usually begins 5 to 10 days after the onset of symptoms. It is heralded by jaundice of the sclera, skin, and mucous membranes. Inflammation of the liver and bile ducts prevents bilirubin from being excreted into the small intestine. As a result, the serum bilirubin levels are elevated, causing yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes. The stools are light brown or clay colored because bile pigment is not excreted through the normal fecal pathway. Instead, the pigment is excreted by the kidneys, causing the urine to turn brown. The liver continues to make bilirubin, even during hepatitis. The blood is not turned darker with bilirubin levels are elevated. The cause of this phenomenon is known.