Acute Liver Failure – an Overview
Liver is one of the important organs in human body. It is the second largest organ of human body. Liver performs many functions like digestion, formation of blood cells, destruction of old cells, formation of hormones and synthesis of coagulation factors which are required to coagulate the blood in case of injuries.
Acute liver failure is a term used for stoppage of liver function which develops over a period of one week to 4 weeks. The liver stops functioning because about 70-80% of cells of liver die. There are different causes of acute liver failure which are as follows. Infectious diseases of the liver which are caused due to viruses like hepatitis A and B can lead to acute liver failure. Overdose of drugs is another important cause of acute liver failure. Paracetamol overdose is the commonest amongst drugs overdose.
Other causes are development of fatty liver during pregnancy and diseases like Wilson’s disease and Reye’s syndrome. Wilson’s disease is an inherited disease in which there is defective copper metabolism. Reye’s syndrome is a complication of chicken pox in children which can lead to acute liver failure. In acute liver failure, there is necrosis of the liver cells beginning in the centre and proceeding to the periphery.
The signs and symptoms of acute liver failure are those of jaundice, encephalopathy and coagulopathy. Encephalopathy is characterized by symptoms of change in mental state, seizures, disorientation, confusion, unconsciousness and coma in last grade of encephalopathy.
There is yellowish discolouration of the skin which is usually the first symptom indicating the involvement of liver. In coagulopathy, bleeding episodes are common due to decrease in platelet count. It is diagnosed by prothrombin time test. The prothrombin time is prolonged. There is risk of bleeding inside the cranium which can give rise to severe complications and even death.
Renal failure is seen in 30 to 70 % of patients suffering from acute liver failure. Decreased urine output and increased blood urea are the symptoms of renal failure. In acute liver failure, the immune system of the body is damaged and the body becomes susceptible to bacterial and fungal infections. Sepsis can also occur due to these infections. So avoid acute liver failure by avoiding its causes. Liver transplant offers some hope for those with acute liver failure.
