title: Management and prognosis of acute liver failure in children.
abstract: Although the etiologies of pediatric acute liver failure (ALF) are diverse, ultimate pathophysiologic pathways and management challenges for these disorders, usually lethal in the pre-transplant era, are similar. This review considers particularly the mechanisms of, and monitoring for, intracranial hypertension and coagulopathy; summarizes detailed advice for management of the ALF-associated failures of multiple body systems; and reviews the variety of prognostic scores available to guide management and assist in choosing the patients most apt to benefit from liver transplantation and the optimal timing for such transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology-Hepatology Division, Liver-Intestinal Transplantation Center, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina. daniel.dagostino@hiba.org.ar
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: D'Agostino
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Diaz
authors.forename: Maria Camila
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Boldrini
mesh_terms: D001778:Blood Coagulation Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007427:Intracranial Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D017114:Liver Failure, Acute / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods; D018579:Patient Selection; D011379:Prognosis