Acute liver failure

Acute liver failure is rapid loss of liver function in a person without preexisting advanced chronic liver disease, marked by impaired blood clotting and hepatic encephalopathy.

Coagulopathy: Impaired blood clotting caused by abnormalities in the clotting system. The failing liver cannot maintain normal production of many clotting factors.
Liver transplantation: Surgical replacement of a diseased or failing liver with a donor liver or part of one. Transplantation can be the only definitive treatment when native liver recovery is unlikely.
Drug-induced liver injury: Liver damage caused by prescription medicines, over-the-counter drugs, or other chemical exposures. Drug toxicity is a major cause of acute liver failure, especially acetaminophen overdose.
Acute-on-chronic liver failure: Acute deterioration of liver function in a person with preexisting chronic liver disease, often accompanied by organ failure. Unlike acute liver failure, it occurs against established chronic liver disease.
Cerebral edema: Excess fluid accumulation in brain tissue that can raise intracranial pressure. Severe encephalopathy can progress to brain swelling, a major cause of death.
N-acetylcysteine: A medication that replenishes glutathione and is used to treat acetaminophen poisoning and other conditions. It is the antidote for acetaminophen toxicity and may benefit some non-acetaminophen cases.
Hepatitis A: A contagious viral infection of the liver caused by hepatitis A virus. Although usually self-limited, it can rarely cause acute liver failure.
Chronic liver disease: Long-lasting liver damage that may progress to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and impaired liver function. Its advanced stages are excluded from the standard definition of acute liver failure.
Systemic inflammatory response syndrome: A widespread inflammatory response that can occur with infection or severe tissue injury. Liver injury can trigger systemic inflammation and contribute to circulatory and organ dysfunction.
King's College Criteria: Prognostic criteria used to assess the need for liver transplantation in acute liver failure. These criteria help estimate whether spontaneous recovery is unlikely enough to warrant urgent transplant listing.

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