Liver failure
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In medicine, liver failure, also called hepatic failure is "severe inability of the liver to perform its normal metabolic functions, as evidenced by severe jaundice and abnormal serum levels of ammonia; bilirubin; alkaline phosphatase; aspartate aminotransferase; lactate dehydrogenases; and albumin/globulin ratio."[1]
Treatment
Among patients with hepatic encephalopathy grades I-II and international normalized ratio ≥ 1.5, intravenous N-acetylcysteine (NAC) for 72 hours may reduce the need for liver transplantation.[2] The trial did not appear to have patients with liver failure due to ethanol.
References
- ↑ Anonymous (2025), Liver failure (English). Medical Subject Headings. U.S. National Library of Medicine.
- ↑ Lee WM, Hynan LS, Rossaro L, Fontana RJ, Stravitz RT, Larson AM et al. (2009). "Intravenous N-acetylcysteine improves transplant-free survival in early stage non-acetaminophen acute liver failure.". Gastroenterology 137 (3): 856-64, 864.e1. DOI:10.1053/j.gastro.2009.06.006. PMID 19524577. Research Blogging.