821 Management of Cerebral Edema in Acute Liver Failure Beverley Kok, MBBS1 Constantine J. Karvellas, MD, SM1 1 Division of Gastroenterology (Liver Unit), Department of Critical Address for correspondence Constantine J. Karvellas, MD, SM, FRCPC, Care Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada Division of Gastroenterology (Liver Unit), Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Alberta, 1-40 Zeidler Ledcor Building, Semin Respir Crit Care Med 2017;38:821–829. Edmonton, Alberta T6G-2Â8, Canada (e-mail:
[email protected]). Abstract Advances in medical care of the acute liver failure patient have led to a significant Keywords reduction in mortality related to the condition. Nevertheless, cerebral edema and ► acute liver failure ensuing brain herniation remains one of the top causes of demise in acute liver failure. ► intracranial Controversy remains regarding the utility of invasive intracranial pressure monitoring hypertension as well as usage of novel treatment modalities including therapeutic hypothermia. This ► cerebral edema review provides a brief summary into the pathophysiology and risk factors for ► neuroprotection developing cerebral edema in the context of acute liver failure; this review particularly ► therapeutic provides a practical focus on general management of the patient with established hypothermia cerebral edema as well as specific intracranial pressure-lowering strategies. Acute liver failure (ALF) is a condition wherein a patient with Europe) over a 35-year period showed the proportion of ALF a