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Fulminant hepatic failure

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Opinion statement

The initial approach to a patient with fulminant hepatic failure includes assessment of the grade of encephalopathy and the cause of hepatic failure.

  • Aggressive supportive therapy with early referral to a transplantation center is recommended for patients with advancing encephalopathy.

  • A critical component of the transplant decision process is the ongoing clinical assessment of reversibility of neurologic status; liver transplantation continues to be the only successful intervention in patients with advanced encephalopathy.

  • Emerging therapies such as auxiliary transplantation and extracorporeal liver assist devices are being perfected or rigorously evaluated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Liver Transplantation Program, University of Nebraska, 600 South 42nd St., 68198, Omaha, NE

    Arjun Venkataramani MD, MPH & Michael F. Sorrell MD

Authors
  1. Arjun Venkataramani MD, MPH
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  2. Michael F. Sorrell MD
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Venkataramani, A., Sorrell, M.F. Fulminant hepatic failure. Curr Treat Options Gastro 2, 91–96 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11938-999-0035-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11938-999-0035-0

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