title: Efficacy of liver transplantation for acute hepatic failure: a single-center experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acute hepatic failure (AHF) is a devastating clinical syndrome with a high mortality rate. The outcome of AHF varies with etiology, but liver transplantation (LT) can significantly improve the prognosis and survival rate of such patients. This study aimed to detect the role of LT and artificial liver support systems (ALSS) for AHF patients and to analyze the etiology and outcome of patients with this disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis was made of 48 consecutive patients with AHF who fulfilled the Kings College Criteria for LT at our center. We analyzed and compared the etiology, outcome, prognosis, and survival rates of patients between the transplantation (LT) group and the non-transplantation (N-LT) group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  AHF was due to viral hepatitis in 25 patients (52.1%; hepatitis B virus in 22), drug or toxic reactions in 14 (29.2%; acetaminophen in 6), Wilson disease in 4 (8.3%), unknown reasons in 3 (6.3%), and miscellaneous conditions in 2 (4.2%). In the LT group, 36 patients (7 underwent living donor LT, and 29 cadaveric LT) had an average model for end-stage liver disease score (MELD) of 35.7. Twenty-eight patients survived with good graft function after a follow-up of 27.3+/-4.5 months. During the waiting time, 6 patients were treated with ALSS and 2 of them died during hospitalization. The 30-day, 12-month, and 18-month survival rates were 77.8%, 72.2%, and 66.7%, respectively. In the N-LT group, 12 patients had an average MELD score of 34.5. Four patients were treated with ALSS and all died during hospitalization. The 90-day and 1-year survival rates were only 16.7% and 8.3%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hepatitis is the most prominent cause of AHF at our center. Most patients with AHF, who fulfill the Kings College Criteria for LT, did not survive longer without LT. ALSS did not improve the prognosis of AHF patients, but may extend the waiting time for a donor. Currently, LT is still the most effective way to improve the prognosis of AHF patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, General Hospital of PLA, Beijing, China. shixianjie301@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Xian-Jie
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Hong-Bin
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Wen-Bin
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Yu-Rong
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Wei-Dong
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Ming-Jun
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhi-Ming
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D017114:Liver Failure, Acute / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D019164:Liver, Artificial; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome