Emergency liver transplantation for fulminant hepatitis.
Orthotopic liver transplantation was done in 17 patients with fulminant hepatitis. The cause of the liver disease was infection with hepatitis B virus, or co-infection with hepatitis B virus and hepatitis D virus, or infection with hepatitis A virus in 6 patients; drug hepatotoxicity in 5; and indeterminate in 6. Grafts from incompatible blood groups, steatotic grafts, or reduced-size grafts were used in 5, 4, and 4 patients, respectively. Of the 17 patients, 5 died: 2 of early liver failure due to the poor quality of the graft, 1 presumably of accidentally transmitted acute infection with the human immunodeficiency virus, and 2 of decerebration occurring during or immediately after surgery. The 12 other patients were alive 2 to 15 months after transplantation.
Bismuth
H
H
Samuel
D
D
Gugenheim
J
J
Castaing
D
D
Bernuau
J
J
Rueff
B
B
Benhamou
J P
JP
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000209:etiology; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007565:Jaundice / Q000209:etiology; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality