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Previous Volume 329:1862-1872 December 16, 1993 Number 25 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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Few conditions in medicine are more dramatic or more devastating than acute liver failure. Severe liver-cell dysfunction strikes previously well people suddenly, and many of them die. Acute liver failure embraces a number of conditions whose common thread is severe injury of hepatocytes or massive necrosis. Loss of hepatocyte function sets in motion a multiorgan response, and death may occur even when the liver has begun to recover. This article highlights recent advances in our understanding and management of this unique condition.

Altered mental status (hepatic encephalopathy) and coagulopathy in the setting of an acute hepatic disease define acute liver . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Causes of Acute Liver Failure

Viral Hepatitis

Drugs and Toxins

Vascular Causes

Miscellaneous Causes

Clinical Features of Acute Liver Failure

Diagnosis

Encephalopathy and Cerebral Edema

Coagulopathy

Renal and Cardiovascular Changes

Oxygen Transport and Uptake

Metabolic Changes

Infection

Pathogenesis of Acute Liver Failure

Therapy

Liver Transplantation

Other Methods of Temporary Liver Support

Prognosis

Source Information

From the Liver Unit, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas.

Address reprint requests to Dr. Lee at the Liver Unit, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75235-8887.

References

Related Letters:

Acute Liver Failure
Bruner J. M.R., De Deyne C., Decruyenaere J., Colardyn F., Lee W. M.
Extract | Full Text  
N Engl J Med 1994; 330:1318-1319, May 5, 1994. Correspondence

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