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Acute Liver Failure – Complications and Risk Factors

Acute liver failure is responsible for various complications. Women report a greater incidence of acute liver failure than men do. Acute liver failure is not age specific. Hepatorenal syndrome, dehydration, and acute tubular necrosis are due to acute liver failure.

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Complications and Risk Factors for Acute Liver Failure

New York (USA), June 24, 2013

Acute Liver Failure: Complications

Acute liver failure is responsible for various complications. These include:

Bleeding disorders: Poor liver functioning affects production of clotting substances that help blood clot. Hence, gastrointestinal bleeding, ulcer bleeding, and similar others cannot be properly controlled. These cause portal hypertensive gastropathy and stress gastritis. Any minor trauma prompts extensive percutaneous bleeding progressing into severe hemorrhage. This is predominantly due to impaired coagulation abilities.

Cerebral Edema: Fluid accumulation in brain increases cranial pressure. At times, excess fluid displaces brain tissues. It also deprives your brain of essential oxygen.

Seizures: Acute liver failure leads to seizures. This eventually transforms into hepatic coma and cerebral hypoxia. Sedatives should not be prescribed given the altered mental status. Low doses of benzodiazepines are ideal to treat this condition.

Kidney Failure: Acute liver failure occurring due to overdose of acetaminophen damages kidneys leading to kidney failure.

Infections: If affected by acute liver failure. You are susceptible to different infections, more so of the urinary tract, respiratory tract, and blood.

Renal Failure: This is a common complication of acute liver failure. Hepatorenal syndrome, dehydration, and acute tubular necrosis are due to acute liver failure. Prompt treatment is essential to maintain adequate blood pressure. Hemodialysis provides significant relief and restricts cerebral perfusion pressure.

Acute Liver Failure: Risk Factors

Gender: Women report a greater incidence of acute liver failure than men do. Autoimmune liver disease and viral hepatitis E are more common in women than in men.

Race: There is no significant concentration of acute liver failure in specific races. All races are equally susceptible to acute liver failure.

Encephalopathy: Gradual progress of jaundice into encephalopathy is a common occurrence. However, if this progress occurs in less than a fortnight, it is a prelude to acute liver failure with fatal consequences.

Age: Acute liver failure does not occur in any specific age group. However, once affected, children below ten years and adults over the age of forty are at a higher mortality risk than people of other age groups.

Wilson Disease: This is a fatal condition unless you undergo orthotropic liver transplantation or OLT.

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