Pediatric Acute Liver Failure

Catherine Larson-Nath; Bernadette Vitola

doi:10.1016/j.ccc.2021.11.015

Pediatric Acute Liver Failure

Crit Care Clin. 2022 Apr;38(2):301-315. doi: 10.1016/j.ccc.2021.11.015.

Authors

Catherine Larson-Nath¹, Bernadette Vitola²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, 2450 Riverside Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA.
² Transplant Institute, Medstar Georgetown University Hospital, 3800 Reservoir Road, NW 2 PHC, Washington, DC 20007, USA. Electronic address: bernadette.vitola@medstar.net.

PMID: 35369949
DOI: 10.1016/j.ccc.2021.11.015

Abstract

Pediatric acute liver failure is a rare process that results from many different diseases including toxin ingestion and drug overdose, infections, metabolic and genetic disorders, immune-mediated diseases, and ischemia. Up to 50% of children with acute liver failure will never have an underlying cause found. Early identification, supportive care, and disease-directed therapy are critical. For some children liver transplantation is needed for survival, but many children will recover with appropriate therapy, without the need for transplantation. Nonetheless, overall survival is approximately 50% without liver transplantation. Opportunities for improvement in the care of children with acute liver failure still exist.

Keywords: Acute liver failure; Pediatric; Transplant.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Child
Humans
Liver Failure, Acute* / diagnosis
Liver Failure, Acute* / etiology
Liver Failure, Acute* / therapy
Liver Transplantation* / adverse effects
Risk Assessment