title: Drug-Induced Acute Liver Failure.
abstract: Drug-induced acute liver failure (ALF) disproportionately affects women and nonwhites. It is most frequently caused by antimicrobials and to a lesser extent by complementary and alternative medications, antiepileptics, antimetabolites, nonsteroidals, and statins. Most drug-induced liver injury ALF patients have hepatocellular injury pattern. Cerebral edema and intracranial hypertension are the most serious complications of ALF. Other complications include coagulopathy, sepsis, metabolic derangements, and renal, circulatory, and respiratory dysfunction. Although advances in intensive care have improved outcome, ALF has significant mortality without liver transplantation. Liver-assist devices may provide a bridge to transplant or to spontaneous recovery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Southern Arizona Veterans Affairs Healthcare System 3601 S 6th Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85723 USA.
authors.forename: Shahid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Habib
authors.affiliation: Section of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System, University Drive C, FU #112, Pittsburgh, PA 15240, USA; Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. Electronic address: obaid@pitt.edu.
authors.forename: Obaid S
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Shaikh
mesh_terms: D001929:Brain Edema / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000401:mortality; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D017052:Hospital Mortality / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D017114:Liver Failure, Acute / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014481:United States
keywords: Cerebral edema; Drug hepatotoxicity; Encephalopathy; Liver failure; Liver transplantation