Acute Liver Failure

Liver failure is a condition wherein, the liver's ability to perform its functions diminishes. So when the condition reaches to acute liver failure, which is the last of liver failure stages, there is fast degeneration of the liver tissues and the liver can stop functioning within a few weeks. This condition of acute liver failure causes a host of problems in the body, ranging from bleeding to increase of pressure in the brain. Let us now look at the causes, symptoms and treatment options for liver failure.

Causes of Acute Liver Failure
In this type of liver failure, there is prominent damage to the liver cells and there can be the following causes for the same:

Excess Acetaminophen and Prescription Drugs
Acetaminophen or paracetamol is an analgesic and antipyretic. It is mostly used in pain, cold and flu medication. The liver damage occurs if the medicine is taken in large amount or even in small amounts regularly. Same goes for certain prescription drugs like antibiotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, etc.

Cancer
Liver cancer or any other cancer that spreads to liver, causes the tissues to degenerate, leading to acute liver failure. The cancer hinders the liver functions as well.

Liver Diseases
The liver failure may result from autoimmune diseases like autoimmune hepatitis where the immune system attacks the liver considering it to be a threat. The failure may sometimes result from metabolic diseases like Wilson's disease caused due to too much copper in the body. Another cause may be the vascular diseases such as blockages in the veins of the liver or portal vein thrombosis.

Virus
The hepatitis virus A, B and E can cause acute liver failure. Other viruses like Epstein-Barr virus and herpes simplex virus also are sometimes responsible for failure of liver.

Herbal Supplements and Toxins
Herbal drugs like ephedra, pennyroyal, kava, etc., have been linked to liver failure. Some herbs like Germander and Chaparral may also affect the liver by causing hepatitis that may ultimately lead to liver degeneration. Apart from these, accidental consumption of toxins like poisonous wild mushrooms also affects the body, including the liver.

Symptoms of Acute Liver Failure
The symptoms of acute liver failure may include vomiting, nausea and yellowing of skin or eye. There may also be tenderness in the upper right abdominal area where the liver is located. The early symptoms of liver failure may also result in general inflammation, rawness and infection and in the body. Metabolic upset, lactic acidosis, metabolic alkalosis are often results of acetaminophen overdose. This extreme condition of live failure causes certain complications in the body as well which are:

• Fluid retention in the body as well as cerebral edema that increases pressure on the brain
• Kidney problems and failure due to acetaminophen overdose
• Excess bleeding from intestinal tract ulcers as well as general injuries, due to lack of blood clotting factors.
• Increase in infections

Treatment of Acute Liver Failure
To treat this medical condition, firstly, the patient's condition and the intensity of the liver failure is determined. To do so, blood clotting test is done wherein if the liver has problems, the clotting process is slow. Then for confirmation, the liver tissue examination is done. For this, the tissue is taken by liver biopsy through abdomen or in case of severe bleeding the tissue is taken through a catheter inserted at the neck. Once the condition is confirmed, the patient is hospitalized for further treatment, generally in the intensive care unit. The liver failure treatment may be as follows. If the failure is a result of poisoning or drug overdose, the patient is given medication that reverse the effects of the toxin. Also, medicines are prescribed in the case of fluid retention brain and to prevent severe bleeding. If the cause of liver failure is an infection of any kind, a series of blood and urine tests are performed to detect it and relevant medications are prescribed. Basically, the underlying causes have to be dealt within order to cure the condition. Intravenous N-acetylcysteine is often beneficial to relieve the condition of liver failure. The last option is, of course a liver transplant where a new healthy liver from a donor is put in place of the damaged one. Post treatment the patients are kept on a liver failure diet until recovery is complete.

As they say, it is better to be safe than sorry, it is better to take care of your liver than going through so much at a later stage. Eating a healthy diet, reducing the alcohol intake and in general, maintaining a healthy lifestyle keeps most diseases at bay. Take care.