Acute Liver Failure

Estrogen fuels autoimmune liver damage

A life-threatening condition that often requires transplantation and accounts for half of all acute liver failures, autoimmune hepatitis is often precipitated by certain anesthetics and antibiotics. Researchers say these ...

Medical research created Apr 30, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Liver disease: Understanding it will enable the provision of better treatment

In this prospective study, led by Dr Richard Moreau, INSERM Research Director (Mixed Research Unit 773 "Centre de Recherche biomédicale Bichat-Beaujon"; INSERM/Université Paris Diderot) who is also a practitioner attached ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Apr 18, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

EU releases 144 mn euro for new rare disease research

The European Union on Thursday pledged 144 million euros of fresh funding for research on rare diseases that currently affect some 30 million Europeans, the majority of them children.

Genetics created Feb 28, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Swine cells could power artificial liver

Chronic or acute, liver failure can be deadly. Toxins take over, the skin turns yellow and higher brain function slows.

Medical research created Feb 27, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Dietary supplements can cause liver injury, warns expert

Dose-dependent (acetaminophen) and idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injuries (DILI) are the leading cause of acute liver failure in the United States and are responsible for approximately 50 percent of all reported cases.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Oct 29, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

NIH launches free database of drugs associated with liver injury

A free source of evidence-based information for health care professionals and for researchers studying liver injury associated with prescription and over-the-counter drugs, herbals, and dietary supplements is now available ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Oct 12, 2012 | popularity 3 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Survival 'excellent' following living donor liver transplantation for acute liver failure

Patients in Japan who underwent living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) for acute liver failure (ALF) were classified as having excellent outcomes, with ten-year survival at 73%. The findings, published in the September ...

Other created Sep 06, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Researchers develop new approach to treat acute liver failure

Acute liver failure is a life-threatening disease, characterized by a sudden, massive death of liver cells. Unfortunately, few treatment options exist, especially for advanced-stage liver failure. As a last resort a liver ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Aug 03, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Acetaminophen overdoses in children can be life-threatening but are avoidable

Acetaminophen, a widely available over-the-counter medication, can cause liver toxicity in children if doses are exceeded, and more public education is needed to warn of potential adverse effects, states an article published ...

Medications created Jun 04, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Misuse of over-the-counter pain medication is potential health threat

A significant number of adults are at risk of unintentionally overdosing on over-the-counter (OTC) pain medication, according to a new study in the US by Dr. Michael Wolf, from Northwestern University in Chicago, and his ...

Medications created May 30, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Four acute mushroom poisonings in two weeks

On September 12, 2011, a Springfield, Virginia man arrived at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital (MGUH) in the early stages of liver failure. The man had mistakenly eaten poisonous mushrooms, handpicked from his yard. ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created May 20, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 1

New clinical practice guidelines on alcoholic liver disease published

EASL today announced the publication of a new clinical practice guideline (CPG) in the area of Alcoholic Liver Disease (ALD), bringing the number of CPGs published to date to eight.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Apr 19, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Math can save Tylenol overdose patients

University of Utah mathematicians developed a set of calculus equations to make it easier for doctors to save Tylenol overdose patients by quickly estimating how much painkiller they took, when they consumed ...

Medical research created Feb 27, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Model predicts death due to acetaminophen overdose

(HealthDay) -- Model for Acetaminophen-induced Liver Damage (MALD), a mathematical model that utilizes commonly obtained laboratory values, including overdose amount and time elapsed since overdose, is effective ...

Medications created Feb 24, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

New GSA resources lay foundation for relieving seniors' pain

The pain suffered by older adults is the shared focus of the two newest entries in The Gerontological Society of America's (GSA) From Publication to Practice series. Together they address both pain management and new labeling changes for one ...

Health created Jan 31, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0


Acute liver failure is the appearance of severe complications rapidly after the first signs of liver disease (such as jaundice), and indicates that the liver has sustained severe damage (loss of function of 80-90% of liver cells). The complications are hepatic encephalopathy and impaired protein synthesis (as measured by the levels of serum albumin and the prothrombin time in the blood). The 1993 classification defines hyperacute as within 1 week, acute as 8–28 days and subacute as 4–12 weeks. It reflects the fact that the pace of disease evolution strongly influences prognosis. Underlying etiology is the other significant determinant of outcome.

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