Diagnosis and manageme nt of acute liver failure

Acute liver failure (ALF) is a catastrophic multiorgan syn-drome occurring in previously healthy individuals that ischaracterized by severe hepatocellular dysfunction andmay swiftly progress to death. ALF affects about 2000–2800 persons annually (3.5 deaths per million population)and accounts for 5–6% of liver transplants in the UnitedStates[1,2].Theclinicalsyndromeisthesame,regardlessofthe cause. Improved medical management and emergentorthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) have improvedoverall patient survival, yet mortality ranges from 30 to100%.Thisreviewwillbrieflyoutlinethecauses,diagnosis,and up-to-date management of this devastating illness.

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