Acute Liver Failure in Adults: an Evidence- Based Management Protocol for Clinicians
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Acute Liver Failure in Adults: An Evidence- Based Management Protocol for Clinicians Heather Patton, MD, Michael Misel, PharmD, and Robert G. Gish, MD Dr. Patton is an Assistant Clinical Abstract: With the goal of providing guidance on the provision Professor of Medicine in the Division of optimal intensive care to adult patients with acute liver fail- of Gastroenterology at the University ure (ALF), this paper defines ALF and describes a protocol for of California (UC) San Diego School of appropriately diagnosing this relatively rare clinical entity and Medicine; she is also affiliated with the ascertaining its etiology, where possible. This paper also identi- Center for Hepatobiliary Disease and fies the few known therapies that may be effective for specific Abdominal Transplantation (CHAT) in the UC San Diego Health System, both causes of ALF and provides a comprehensive approach for antici- in San Diego, California. Dr. Misel is an pating, identifying, and managing complications. Finally, one of Assistant Clinical Professor at the UC the more important aspects of care for patients with ALF is the San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy determination of prognosis and, specifically, the need for liver & Pharmaceutical Sciences; he is also a transplantation. Prognostic tools are provided to help guide the Pharmacist Specialist in Hepatobiliary clinician in this critical decision process. Management of patients Disease and Abdominal Transplant at CHAT in the UC San Diego Health with ALF is complex and challenging, even in centers where staff System. Dr. Gish is Chief of Clinical members have high levels of expertise and substantial experience. Hepatology and a Professor of Clinical This evidence-based protocol may, therefore, assist in the delivery Medicine in the Division of Gastroen- of optimal care to this critically ill patient population and may terology at the UC San Diego School of substantially increase the likelihood of positive outcomes. Medicine; he is also Medical Director of CHAT in the UC San Diego Health System. ue to the complexity of clinical care for patients with acute Address correspondence to: and chronic liver disease, evidence-based protocols provide Dr. Heather Patton a means to improve delivery of care. This is particularly Dtrue when multiple specialties are involved in the care team, when 200 West Arbor Drive, MC 8413 San Diego, CA 92103; physician coverage may change day-to-day or week-to-week, and Tel: 619-543-2470; when trainees (medical students, residents, and fellows) comprise Fax: 619-543-2766; part of the care team. The goal of the following protocol is to guide E-mail: [email protected] the provision of optimal intensive care to adult patients with acute liver failure (ALF), both fulminant and subfulminant, who are being managed in hospital wards and in the intensive care unit (ICU). The protocol is designed to help clinicians to define and recognize ALF; to promptly identify its cause, when possible; to identify com- mon complications associated with ALF and appropriate strategies to prevent or manage these complications; and to rapidly triage ALF patients for liver transplantation evaluation and listing, where appropriate. This protocol is intended for the adult patient with Keywords Acute liver failure, liver transplantation, fulminant ALF. Important differences may exist in management of the pedi- liver failure, hepatic encephalopathy, acute-on- atric population, who may present with other signs of ALF without chronic liver failure, intracranial hypertension, overt hepatic encephalopathy (HE); readers are directed to reviews 1,2 coagulopathy specific to this patient population. Gastroenterology & Hepatology Volume 8, Issue 3 March 2012 161 P A T T O N e T A l ALF (fulminant and subfulminant) is a rare but following evaluation is recommended to help determine the serious clinical syndrome characterized by sudden etiology of liver failure. Determination of etiology assists in loss of hepatic function in a person without evidence directing therapy and estimating prognosis. of preexisting liver disease.3 Exceptions to this defini- tion include Wilson disease, reactivation of hepatitis B Medical History virus infection, and autoimmune hepatitis.4 ALF affects First, clinicians should obtain a detailed medical history approximately 2,000–3,000 Americans each year.5 from the patient and/or family, including first onset of Causes of ALF include drug-induced or toxin-induced symptom(s); all medications used over the last 6 months, liver disease, viral hepatitis, metabolic diseases, and including prescription medications, over-the-counter vascular and/or ischemic liver disease; 15–20% of cases agents, herbal supplements, wild mushrooms, or other have no identifiable cause (Table 1). alternative/complementary therapies; a detailed history of Acetaminophen (APAP) is the leading cause of current and prior substance use; current or prior depression ALF. Patients who are at increased risk for APAP- (including assessment of suicidality), anxiety, psychosis, or induced ALF include those with concomitant alcohol other mental illness; viral prodrome; and recent travel. use, malnutrition, or use of medications known to induce CYP450 enzymes (eg, phenytoin, carbamaze- Physical Examination pine, or rifampin). In 308 consecutive patients from Second, a complete physical examination should be per- 17 tertiary care centers participating in the US Acute formed. Particular attention should be paid to the assessment Liver Failure Study Group, APAP was identified as of mental status, the neurologic examination, and the fundo- the etiology of ALF in 40% of patients.6 The other scopic examination in patients with HE of stage 2 or greater. etiologies identified, in ascending order of prevalence, were malignancy (1%), Budd-Chiari syndrome (2%), Laboratory Tests pregnancy (2%), Wilson disease (3%), hepatitis A virus Third, a number of laboratory tests are recommended for infection (4%), autoimmune hepatitis (4%), ischemic the purposes of establishing an etiology and determining hepatitis (6%), hepatitis B virus infection (6%), and prognosis. Tests that should be performed on presentation idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (13%); 17% of are listed in Table 3. cases were found to be indeterminate. Additional Tests to Consider Definition of Acute Liver Failure In patients with ALF of unknown etiology (“sero- negative” ALF), additional laboratory studies to con- ALF is manifest by the presence of coagulopathy (inter- sider include autoimmune marker tests (antinuclear national normalized ratio [INR] >1.5) and any degree of antibody, anti-actin antibody, quantitative immuno- encephalopathy occurring within 24 weeks of the first globulins, and anti–soluble liver antigen); hepatitis E onset of symptoms in patients without underlying liver virus immunoglobulin (Ig)M testing (in patients with disease.7,8 The particular timing and severity of clinical compatible travel history); and hepatitis C virus poly- presentation may be divided into hyperacute, acute, and merase chain reaction (PCR) if risk factors are present. subacute; the former 2 categories encompass fulminant If Wilson disease is suspected, tests to consider include hepatic failure, while subacute is also termed subfulmi- serum ceruloplasmin, serum copper level, 24-hour nant. These categories can provide clues as to the underly- urine collection for quantitative copper, and slit-lamp ing cause and prognosis of ALF (Table 2). Paradoxically, ophthalmologic evaluation for the presence of Kayser- patients with HE that occurs within 8 weeks of the onset Fleischer rings (these tests should be done in all young of symptoms (fulminant hepatic failure) have a lower patients with ALF and in those with Coombs-negative mortality than those with a more gradually evolving hemolytic anemia, low alkaline phosphatase levels, course. Multiorgan failure is the most common cause of or splenomegaly). If a viral syndrome is identified or death (>50%) from ALF, with intracranial hypertension suspected, consider testing for herpes simplex virus (ICH) and infection accounting for most of the other 1/2 IgM (PCR also available), Epstein-Barr virus PCR, deaths in this patient population.9 cytomegalovirus PCR, adenovirus PCR, and varicella- zoster virus IgM (in the setting of vesicular rash). Diagnosis of Acute Liver Failure There are other diagnostic tests that may also be useful. A diagnostic transjugular liver biopsy should be In patients with suspected ALF (those presenting with considered for all unknown or non-APAP cases. Histol- coagulopathy and HE in the absence of known underlying ogy has not been shown to predict outcomes, although liver disease within a time frame compatible with ALF), the the liver biopsy may help to strategize immunosuppres- 162 Gastroenterology & Hepatology Volume 8, Issue 3 March 2012 A c u T e l I V e r F ai l u r e in A d u lT s Table 1. Differential Diagnosis of Acute Liver Failure (ALF) Category Etiology of ALF Examples and/or common clinical features Viruses Hepatitis A virus Rare in the United States; usually hyperacute in presentation; ALF is more common in older patients or those with underlying liver disease Hepatitis B virus ± delta virus Less common following widespread vaccination Hepatitis E virus Occurs in those with a history of travel to endemic areas or direct exposure to those who have traveled to such areas, as well as those with exposure to porcine farm animals; has a higher risk during pregnancy, especially in the 3rd trimester Herpes simplex