Acute Liver Failure

Excerpt

Acute liver failure (ALF) is a rare and often heterogeneous presentation of severe liver dysfunction in a patient with otherwise no pre-existing liver disease. Though it has high morbidity and mortality, its overall survival has improved through intensive care management and emergency liver transplantation advancements. A high index of suspicion, early referral to a specialist liver transplantation center, and adequate supportive management remain the cornerstone for the management of ALF. Future better understanding and knowledge of the pathophysiology of liver injury and management of multi-organ failure will help improve outcomes.

ALF is defined as the development of severe acute liver injury with encephalopathy and impaired synthetic function (INR of 1.5 or higher) in a patient without cirrhosis or preexisting liver disease and with an illness of fewer than 26 weeks duration.